X-Men : Days of Future Past

Wolverine’s Life on Mars. In the context of the franchise, Days of Future Past is an admirable work of storytelling that succeeds in linking the previous Singer films to First Class and the Wolverine spin-offs by partially rewriting the history of several fictional worlds (the filmmakers managed to create a film that simultaneously opens and closes the original trilogy). As a stand-alone film for newcomers to the X-Men universe, however, it is a very problematic movie that doesn’t take time to introduce the characters, let alone explain their relationships and motivations. The more precise temporal localisation of the story and the ensuing intellectual pleasure are made possible by hints in the form of allusions, which – as in Star Trek: Into Darkness – are intended primarily for those who are already in the know. The narrative does not get its dynamics primarily from the action scenes, but rather from the relationships between characters and their (un)willingness to join a particular group (outsiders become team players and vice versa). The relationships do not exist only on the horizontal plane, but also on two different temporal planes. Different alliances are in effect on each of these levels, which forces us to constantly assess what happened between the past and the future and what could change based on what is currently happening. The clarity of communication between the past and the future is aided by the distribution of information through a limited number of the more important characters, to each of which a slightly different style and narrative tone are applied (whereas supporting characters like Kitty serve only as one-dimensional narrative devices). This change of style and tone is most striking in the chapter focusing on Quicksilver, but the varying degrees of the tragic outlook with which the situation is viewed by Wolverine and Beast on the one hand and Magneto and Xavier on the other is also readily apparent. The drawbacks of having such a large cast of characters become clear when the moment of truth arrives, but there is no time left for psychologising, as the decisive moments are condensed into emotionally tense speeches that I would rather more expect from Captain America (with which Days of Future Past shares the 1970s suspicion that the world really isn’t run by the right people). The action scenes, which don’t always contribute to the development of the plot, then come across as forced, visual dead weight and an attempt to fulfil a quota of spectacular scenes that are needed so that the film can be designated as a blockbuster. I won’t go back to Days of Future Past with the same appetite as I did in the case of First Class, which entertained me with its Bondian stylisation and well-considered introduction of new characters, but at least in order to understand and appreciate its importance for the other X-Men movies, I consider another viewing to be necessary, which is actually the best that any commercial film can hope for. 80% (22/05/2014) (moins) (plus)