REVIEW - SOMETHING IN THE AIR

It's nostalgia in the air. But evocative nostalgia, for all the retro wardrobe and the haze of smoke in the balmy French air. What brings this summer sizzling to life is Olivier Assayas' sense of sensuality, the tactility of his film in its heady images and crystal-clear sound mix. And the honesty of his vision, too - much as only the most romantic of souls won't experience an urge to scoff at these wannabe teenage revolutionaries and the futility of their words and actions, Assayas is even-handed in his portrayal of their aspirations. Indeed, for its political subjects, Something in the Air is generally unconcerned with politics, though it's obvious where Assayas' sympathies lie in the arresting opening sequences. A nighttime graffiti session turned foot chase is dynamic and quite brilliant, and the ultimate in constructing tension out of basic elements of storytelling. As Assayas fosters the narrative strands attached to each of his lead characters (and, in typically French fashion, he does so with dedication to each, resulting in an often wayward structure), Something in the Air grows in interest and complexity. But he is at a loss when it comes to depicting the dissolution of their fervour with much verve, as the realities of a world apathetic to their cause begin to take precedence in their lives, and each is led off down a uniquely unappealing road. This is as honest as anything else in Something in the Air, but not as naturally capable of sustaining the level of cinematic zeal that characterises the first half of this eventually overlong film. Assayas' tone strays ever close to the paths pursued by his protagonists, which is an admirable trait of his here, if not especially stimulating.