THE EIGHTH DAY

In the French movie, THE EIGHTH DAY, Harry (Daniel Auteuil) is an extraordinary salesman able to put on all the faces necessary for success in business, but his personal life is falling apart. His wife has left him, and his two daughters refuse to see him because business has, too often, come first. He sits alone, night after night, in his sterile apartment, a prisoner to his own emotional stagnation.

The film begins with Georges describing his slightly askew version of the six days of creation. Georges (Pascal Duquenne), contrary to Harry, overflows with unfettered emotions because he is afflicted with Downís syndrome. On the one hand, he is able to enjoy the beauty of nature and give credit, in his limited understanding, to God. On the other hand, when faced with rejection, he sometimes surrenders to anger or crippling anguish. He sees the world through the eyes of a child and reacts strongly. Shackled by the confines of the managed health facility to which he has been consigned, he leaves to find his mother who has been dead for four years.

Harry and Georges meet and form a friendship. Harry reluctantly takes responsibility for Georges until he finds out that Georgesí mother is dead, and that Geroges belongs in a facility. It is a challenging situation for Harry but is necessary for him to learn love.

Georges brings long-dormant emotions out of Harry and helps him to realize that restoring his family is far more important that working at his job. There is always a consequence to leaving the sanctuary of a controlled environment. Harry learns to balance his life and not rely solely on the safety net of his career. Georges slowly resigns himself to the realities of a world unable to offer the unconditional love of his deceased mother.

The film is filled with fine and noble moments, and the performances are faultless. Director/screenwriter Jaco Van Dormael deserves high praise indeed for bringing the best out of his actors, especially Pascal Duquenne and the other challenged actors who portrayed the residents of the managed health facility. Never maudlin, the film contains enough humor and sufficient pacing to maintain the audienceís attention. Production quality is superb and contains some fine visual effects, especially the sequences where Georges dreams or fantasizes about the presence of his mother and the imaginary singer, Luis Mariano.

THE EIGHTH DAY does contain some questionable elements. Georges is not beyond using obscenities, and he has difficulty understanding that there are consequences to oneís actions. This point is driven home when Harry gets beaten by a truck driver that Georges has insulted with repeated obscene hand gestures. Georges and his fellow facility inmates disappear during a field trip and steal a van, so they can rescue Harry from work. Harry joins in their conspiracy and leads them into stealing a fireworks display so he can explode them for his daughterís birthday. While his heartís intention to reconcile with his daughter may be commendable, this in no way justifies these actions. Georges and his challenged girlfriend Nathalie engage in sex in a trailer. It is not depicted.

Elements of romanticism are subtly portrayed in that Georgesí emotions are more to be admired that the realities of life which ultimately diminish self, and in this case, conquer Georges. An awareness of this element should prove sufficient caution for adults who wish to attend this entertaining feature film.