Joy House | | Cast : | Alain Delon, Jane Fonda | | Director : | René Clément | | Studio : | Image Entertainment | | Format : | Black & White, Widescreen, Color | | Released Date : | November , 1964 | | DVD Released Date : | August 08, 2000 | | Language : | English (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | NR (Not Rated) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 07, 2005 | | Summary | Spellbinding French crime thriller! | Content
 | Being a fan of Alain Delon, French New Wave films of the 60's and classic film noir was reason alone for watching this incredible movie. I recently viewed "Purple Noon" and fell in love with director Rene Clement's style and his eye for detail. He handles the most complex situations with such a creative flow that is visually striking. After reseaching his other films I came across "Joy House" with Alain Delon and Jane Fonda. The DVD is OOP and I had to spend quite of bit of money to be able to buy the film. I'm happy to say it was money well worth spent. I loved the movie! From the moment the credits appear in and out and from behind the scenery I was mesmerized. What starts out as a typical "man on the run from the mob" screenplay soon evolves into an almost gothic, melodramatic thriller with hints of macabre humor.
Alain Delon and Jane Fonda were at their youthful, hip, gorgeous BEST when this film was made. They both have great chemistry together and give excellent performances. They seem to be having so much "fun" with their characters and with the puzzle-like plot.
The transfer to DVD is very good. The beautiful black and white images are sharp and Clement's composition shots are breathtaking. The musical score is memorable and adds great eeriness and excitement to the scenes. This is a film that thrills you with it's suspense and yet has fun in a "campy" way with it's plot and characters. Watch out for those "TWO CRAZY WOMEN"! |
| Rating | | | Date | October 22, 2001 | | Summary | Surprisingly Good Suspenser | Content
| "Joy House", aka "Les Felins", is a surprisingly good suspenser, with more than enough twists and turns to keep you intrigued until the clever ending. Unfortunately, the film has been transfered to video with less than loving care. A scratchy, brittle-looking print has been letter-boxed slightly, then squeezed to further accomodate a standard-size TV screen. (They don't tell you that on the video box.) The results are wierdly off-putting and less than inviting. Perhaps the DVD of this title is an improvement over the video release. If not, some smart film preservationist would do well to see that a cleaner, crisper print is available for any future transfer. (In the correct aspect ratio, please!) I have a sneaking suspicion that "Joy House" may be an even better film than one would gather from its current video release. It's got an extremely attractive cast, beautiful settings, and top-notch craftsmen working behind the camera. Thankfully, the film never seems to take itself too seriously, moves at a good clip, and has an ending that's tension-packed and appropriately ironic. The only major drawback of the production might be its lack of color photography, otherwise it's almost comparable to Clement and Delon's earlier suspenser, "Purple Noon"... but not quite. Overall, "Joy House" is quite a good film, very entertaining, and, on the whole, worth purchasing, especially if you're a fan of Delon, Fonda, or the lesser-known Albright... just so long as you don't mind a video transfer that leaves a lot to be desired.(Good News! I've had a chance to compare the DVD with the VHS, and I'm happy to report that the DVD is pretty terrific, sound and picture wise. Everything you'd expect when you plunk your money down for a movie at home. A big, big improvement over the VHS version. Plus, there are two soundtracks on the disc: English and French. Only complaints: if you want to watch the film with its French soundtrack, there are no English subtitles to go with it, and, as someone else has noted, there are no DVD extras. But listen, if you're even halfway interested in seeing "Joy House", definitely, definitely watch the DVD edition and not that lousy VHS version.) |
| Rating | | | Date | August 06, 2001 | | Summary | PANDORA's WISHES ............. | Content
| Mirror, mirror on the wall ........ Yes, in this one the lady does talk to the mirror, [literally] but who is there? An intriguing premise - revolving around the old chesnut : "Be careful what you bet - you might just lose your head...". There's plenty happening at this old Chateau when con-man Delon [stunning as usual] meets up with the "Fonda babe", niece to the mysterious mirror lady.... Rene Clement, that Gallic suspense master who previously introduced us to M. Delon in "Purple Noon" [the early "Talented Mr. Ripley"] dishes up this little plate of suitably tainted hors d'oeuvres. Costumes by Pierre Balmain, music by Lalo Schifrin. Road buddy? Antonioni's "The Passenger" |
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