Bibliothèque Pascal

A visually stunning film in the style of Guillermo Del Toro or Wes Anderson, I was riveted by the ever evolving story of Mona, a Romanian-Hungarian woman who is at first show in the office of a social worker. She is asked why she abandoned her child and moved to England for a time, leaving the girl to be taken care of by a relative. What follows is almost beyond description.

Through a series of dream fantasy sequences, Mona's story begins with a day at the beach where a man is hiding in the sand and is being chased by the police. The couple have a quick romantic interlude and we jump ahead to Mona and her daughter living a bare bones existence.

Circumstances send Mona to Britain where she is held captive in a strange brothel where wealthy men can experience their fantasies within the context of high art. Rooms are set up with themes such as Joan of Arc, Lolita, and various other classics.

Do not expect a linear storyline but stick with this unusual drama for an overwhelming movie experience.

Saw this at the Melbourne International Film Festival the other night and walked out at about the 70 minute mark.

I'm not sure if Hungarians or Romanians might understand this film better, I certainly couldn't.

The lead actress is attractive and tries hard but isn't given enough to work with and the narrative keeps shifting. There was plenty of potential conflict in the opening scene but outside of that I soon lost interest in her character and the other characters she met along with way. The Director seemed to be going for stylish visuals and fantasy sequences whilst forgetting the most important things - the story and characters.

I found Lilya4Ever to be a far superior film about a similar subject. I find it difficult to believe films like this one can even get funding.

Hungarian-German-British-Romanian co-production movie "Bibliothèque Pascal" (spoken mainly in Romanian, occasionally in English, while Hungarian is used extensively only in a single theatrical monologue) deals with the heavy subject of human trafficking and sex trade, presented through an imaginative world of the main character, (in)voluntary victim of a modern day slavery, who, in her attempt to reclaim custody of her little daughter, (un)knowingly resorts to fairy-talish description of how she met and lost a man who fathered her daughter and what extraordinary powers little Viorica inherited from him, of good causes she followed to accept her foreign "sexploitive" engagement, and of the imaginative way her "services" were delivered. The only mild objection that can be given to the movie is that everything in it, revolving around Mona Paparu, quietly radiating leading character of subdued expression (brought to the screen by brilliant, classically beautiful Hungarian actress Orsolya Török-Illyés), her life, at first as a traveling artist in the puppet theatre, and later as "Jeanne D'Arc" in stylish chambers of the title "library", inhabited with prostitutes for high-end clientèle, impersonating famous characters from literature (ranging from Desdemona and Ophelia to Dorian Gray and Pinocchio) is too nice and polished for the ugly and rough reality the movie deals with-(the very same sole objection that can be given to Guillermo del Toro's extraordinarily beautiful, phantasmagorical "El laberinto del fauno" ("Pan's Labyrinth"), 2006, in which a young girl escapes from brutalities of life and her ruthless stepfather, army captain in WW2 fascist-ruled Spain, into the fascinating world of her own imagination)-confronting guilt and innocence, violence and kindness, coldness and compassion.

I consider this a master piece! It is a rated adult fairy tale. It is a dream projected to the viewers.

It has distinctive story telling. The sound compilation and cinematography are both great. The film creates such an impact you either love it or hate it.

Sex and violence always catches viewers attention.But it has never been done this way!

The film is absurd and surreal. Director Szabolcs Hajdu is not afraid of taking the risk.And be who he really is! I haven't seen something raw powerful and original like this movie for a while.

A very irritating title, but that shouldn't put you off the movie. There are quite a few other things that will do that job alright! It is really confusing and has a very strange story line. Something that is anything but familiar. Not to mention that it not only walks a thin (moral) line, but crosses that line quite a few times.

This is not for the squeamish or for people who are offended lightly. They will hate this. But then again, it is very unlikely they will find out about the movie ... and even if they do, they will only rant about it, without watching it. That's not to say, that everyone who's going to watch this movie will like it (look at some other comments, to see the controversy this stirs up).

But the cinematography, the really weird story and very fine acting, will hold your attention. Going into the story would spoil the fun, of you discovering it. Though I cannot, give you any final thoughts on this ... you have to come up with something yourself ...