Quelques jours en Septembre

Generally interesting but only sporadically compelling, Quelques jours en Septembre follows a trio of characters (Juliette Binoche’s Irene, Sara Forestier’s Orlando, and Tom Riley’s David) as they attempt to track down a shadowy figure (played by Nick Nolte) whilst avoiding a deadly assassin (John Turturro). Written and directed by Santiago Amigorena, Quelques jours en Septembre moves at an almost ridiculously deliberate pace – with this problem exacerbated by the aimless vibe and inclusion of several decidedly needless sequences. (The pillow fight (!) that ensues midway through is certainly an apt example of the latter.) And while there are a few elements within the film that effectively hold the viewer’s interest (eg Turturro’s ultra-quirky performance), Quelques jours en Septembre suffers from an overall vibe of superfluousness that’s virtually impossible to ignore. (Amigorena’s idiosyncratic screenplay, which relies far too heavily on sequences in which characters discuss the merits of the United States’ foreign policies, doesn’t help matters.) That being said, things do start to improve towards the end with the introduction of Nolte’s character – although it’s exceedingly difficult to actually care by that point.

** out of ****