35 Shots’: What you see is all you get

As I sit here watching Anthony Bourdain motorscooter through the Laotian highlands, sobering up as he confronts both the legacy of the Vietnam War and the country’s enduring culture, I’m thinking about the movie that I saw last night at the Magic Lantern.

“35 Shots of Rum” is a curious little French-language movie, directed by Claire Denis, that steps into a slice of contemporary French life for … oh, about 100 minutes or so. Nothing new in that. But Denis offers something unusual: We step into this world with no explanation, are introduced to characters who do little to explain who they are and follow a story line that does even less to tell us exactly who is who and what’s going on.

We follow Lionel, a black Frenchman who works as a subway driver. We meet his daughter, Josephine, who lives with him in a modern apartment complex. And we meet the people who revolve around them, from Gabrielle, the cab driver who has an undefined relationship with Lionel and who acts like a mother to Josephine, to Noe, the guy from the upstairs apartment who also is part of Lionel’s extended “family” but who has an undefined relationship with Josephine.

But that’s nothing strange. Almost all of “35 Shots” is undefined, including the title, which has something to do with a ritual that Lionel recognizes on special occasions - however he defines them. Trouble is, Lionel doesn’t define much of anything, and he hardly ever speaks about what’s going on behind his mostly impassive gaze.

This lack of context, much less subtext, is bound to disturb many viewers. But if you just go along with things, accept these characters for who they are in each moment that passes, you just might enjoy yourself. I certainly did.

Just don’t ask me to explain exactly what happens.

Below : The trailer for “35 Shots of Rum.”