LES AMANTS DU PONT NEUF

A young man with mental problems, Alex, returns from a homeless shelter to his beloved Pont Neuf in Paris. There he discovers Michèle, a distraught young woman, sleeping in his patch. Michèle ran away from home after breaking up with her boyfriend and when she discovered she had an eye disease which was sending her blind. With no money, no job, no home, the two youngsters suddenly discover happiness and enjoy a whirlwind romance.
The intensity of the performances from Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant is matched by the astonishing - indeed captivating - photography which pervades throughout the film's two hour duration. The images range from the sheer beautiful (such as the beach scene) to the near-heart breaking. Most astonishing of all is the incredible sequence where the lovers are dancing on the bridge amid the showers of fireworks of the bicentennial celebrations - that just has to be one of the most amazing pieces of cinema ever made. (James Travers)