Eva (a.k.a Eve)

Who can resist the bewildering seductive Jeanne Moreau? The self-indulgent and unsympathetic French temptress is magnetic to the phony Welsh novelist, who is overwhelmed by his flashy wealth and fame in Venice. Ensnared into her amour fou, all chic and lovely, he abandons his fiancée, and falls for her loveless love. A sleek look at a heartless affair in baroque style, this romantic drama of the Lost Eden, now restored to the most complete version known to exist, never loses sight of Joseph Losey’s constant themes of despondency, misanthropy and disenchantment. The film undoubtedly belongs to Moreau, whose free-spirited charm resonates with Billie Holiday’s deeply moving jazz ballads, and the church bells ringing solemnly over Piazza San Marco.

Venice Film Festival: In Competition

5/12 (Sun): Film talk with Derek Lam