RoweReviews
  • Viewing Log / Reviews
  • Search
  • Ramblings
  • Contact Me

Moka (2017) - Frédéric Mermoud

6/23/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Anchored by an intoxicating central performance by Emmanuelle Devos, who manages to encapsulate a grieving mother whose fragility is only matched by her dangerous desire to pursue the couple she suspects is responsible for killing her son in a hit-and-run, Frédéric Mermoud's Moka is an evocation of the obsessive nature of grief, the toxic relationship it can share with vengeance, and  the struggle to reach a place of acceptance in times of traumatic personal loss.  A Chabrol-esque style thriller, Moka is a quiet thriller, finding its central protagonist, Diane Roy, befriend the individuals she believes were responsible for killing her son, entering into their lives in a way that makes her final intentions unclear at first, as the film is more than content early on to simply detail a protagonist who is simply searching for some semblance of truth when it comes to the tragedy that shattered her world.  Mermoud's Moka relies heavily on Emmanuelle Devos as Diane Roy, with the film never really pushing the envelop that much from a direction standpoint, unable to build an atmosphere that matches the unpredictable nature of Devo's performance.  Desperate at times for more atmosphere, Moka may have benefited from a more voyeuristic aesthetic early on, with compositions that evoke the underlying determination in this protagonist who stalks these individuals, watching their every move, with the film remaining unclear for quite awhile, what exactly the intentions of Diane Roy truly are.  Mermoud does provide some strong moments throughout, evoking the psychological torment of Diane, exhibiting how she routinely imagines her son lurking in the shadows of this grief-stricken environment she inhabits.  Moka's examination of trauma, grief, vengeance, and the eventual need for acceptance is compelling despite the film's stylistic short comings, with the film's final scene effectively capturing how the living's best defense against personal trauma via grief is the shared connection they have to each other, as Diane comes to recognize that remembering the beauty of her son's life is truly the only way to form some semblance of strength, something that can't simply be achieved through vengeance.  In the end, Diane is a character who reaches a point of acceptance about her son's death, letting go of being psychologically shackled by something she has no control over.  While Frédéric Mermoud's Moka could have certainly used a more atmospheric aesthetic and brooding direction, Emmanuelle Devo's startling performance covers a large amount of the slack, crafting a character through performance which is dangerous yet fragile, brimming with uncertainty and deep-seeded trauma. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Love of all things cinema brought me here.  

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Viewing Log / Reviews
  • Search
  • Ramblings
  • Contact Me