[The News Bot]

Reviewed by Cas Harlow, 13th October 2009
Le Mepris is a pretentious mess. It is pseudo-intellectual and totally inaccessible, and it continues to be lauded as a classic more out of habit – I suspect – than out of any real value. Tediously self-indulgent, and unsurprisingly so since it is semi-autobiographical, few people – even in Godard’s own generation – will still be able to find anything worth watching in this mess. Even French icon Bridget Bardot’s perfect ass can’t save it. Newly released on Region Free UK Blu-ray as part of the new Optimum / Studio Canal Collection, we get acceptable if unspectacular video and audio – you have to consider the age – as well as a wealth of comprehensive extras. It’s a shame that the movie really isn’t worth your time, however. I’m sure there are plenty out there who disagree, and sing the praises of this complex, multi-layered satire on the very movie-making industry itself, but honestly, it is all a little pretentious isn’t it? It may go down in the history books for its daring concepts, but that’s all history now – and it just does not stand up as a very watchable film. Disappointing.
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