Eden Movie Review

Article by Gabe Zia

Lazy Film Critic Movie Reviews

Eden

Eden is a French film directed by Mia Hansen-Løve, and it stars Félix De Givry, Pauline Etienne, Roman Kolinka, Greta Gerwig, and Laura Smet. The film follows a young man named Paul (De Givry), as he becomes a DJ in the early 90s, with a group of his friends working with him as a label. The film follows Paul from the early 90s all the way to 2013, chronicling his life, and his experiences with his friends throughout the years. 

The acting in this movie is kind of difficult to describe, as there aren't a lot of scenes involving heavy acting here. There are some emotional moments sprinkled throughout, but what makes Eden special is the slower moments, which the actors here sell extremely well. And the writing goes hand in hand with the acting, the dialogue is incredibly natural and real, never being too bombastic, or too dramatic, or really too anything. The characters in this movie are incredibly real characters, and this movie feels immensely real, to the point where this was an incredibly surreal experience as a film.

Another thing that adds to how amazing this movie is, is just how profound it is. Sure, it's mostly about a DJ following his ambitions, but at it's core, this movie covers so many things a lot of movies don't even touch on. If you have just about any kind of ambition or aspiration, or you have had goals at a point in your life, you will relate to this movie. Beyond that, this movie will resonate with just about anyone who watches it. But more than ambition, this movie has a really simple theme, which is life. This movie tells a story about life, and about friendships, relationships, and it tells it in an incredibly real way.

However, front and centre, this movie is about a DJ, which leads me to the music and soundtrack of this movie. I can honestly say, even having just recently seen Straight Outta Compton, that Eden has one of the best soundtracks in a film this year. It's catchy, the music is really good, it works with the scenes and the tone, and the raves and clubs work with the music in an incredibly surreal way.

Final Rating

I hadn't heard much of Eden, however I'm glad I decided to see it. It's absolutely one of the best movies of the year, up there with The Gift and Mad Max. It's characters are amazingly real, and the writing and acting work together unlike anything I've seen since Boyhood. The soundtrack is fantastic. This movie is incredibly surreal, it's thought provoking, and it anyone who watches it will be able to relate to it. Which is why I think absolutely everyone should go see it, it's a masterpiece.