Ulysse & Mona (2018)

Ulysse u0026 Mona: Directed by Sébastien Betbeder. With Manal Issa, Eric Cantona, Mathis Romani, Marie Vialle. Ulysses, a secluded artist who mysteriously retired a few years ago, meets Mona, a young art student full of life. The encounter will change them both.

“This movie is about a young art student Mona (Manal Issa) – who has a boyfriend Camilie (Quentin Dolimaire) – but wants to meet a retired and forgotten – secluded famous art teacher Ulysses (Eric Cantona) who stays in a remote mansion in a deep jungle – living alone, playing tennis with a machine-ball thrower.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMona goes to meet Ulysses – who immediately rejects her, but Mona persists and they form a unique bond between a mentor Ulusses and a student Mona.nMona looks up to Ulysses and adores him – even gets physically attracted to him. Her LOVE defines Ulysses to reclaim his relationships with his ex-wife and his young son who works as a waiter in a pizza joint.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhen Mona is back and reflects on a video of Ulysses – she realizes the journey life takes and she realizes a new maturity within her through a LOVE friendship interactions and knowing Ulyssesu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe concept of the movie is good – but the execution does not feel complete. Director Sébastien Betbeder who also has screenplayed the movie has tried to present a unique story of pure LOVE relationship but does not succeed fully.nQuentin Dolimaire as Ulysses has acted in a limited frame with an equivocal emotional state of cold expression, while Manal Issa fills up freshness and vulnerability in the narrative. But the chemistry between the two leads is not crackling in nature.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThere are a few sub-plots – one of Monau0026#39;s love – her friend and other of Ulyssesu0026#39; neighbor friend, his son , a small boy visiting him occasionally – and an altercation with an unemployed man who comes to rob a department store.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThere was potential in the concept of light hearted love story, which was under-exploited. the happenings in the movie – never touches the heart deeply or even brings lasting smiles and endearing emotions.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI would go with 6 out of 10 for this French movie.”