-Written by Kyle Bain.
Chlo Barreau has documented her relationships since she was a teenager, and she’s now decided to compile all of her footage to create Fragments of a Life Loved. She now sits down with each of those former lovers, and she asks them to be honest about the time that they once shared with her. Not all of their memories are fond, and the truth will finally be revealed.
I feel like I harp on the length of documentaries far too much, but that’s not going to stop me from doing it even more. Fragments of a Life Loved is far too long, and yet, I think there was probably a ton of content that Barreau and her team cut from the film. Let me be more clear: Fragments of a Life Loved is well paced, and each former partner is given ample time to express themselves effectively. There are simply times throughout the course of this film where I found myself saying “that’s the same thing the other person said.” It sort of became redundant in this sense, hearing multiple partners say nearly the same thing, repeatedly expressing to viewers that Barreau is sort of an asshole.
That leads me to my next point: I am fascinated that Barreau was willing and able to develop this film. Given the fact that many of these former partners don’t have many positive memories of their time with Barreau, I’m sort of surprised that they were all willing to come back and sit down with her. Furthermore, once everything was recorded, I’m shocked that Barreau was willing to present this film to the public, as she, once again, is presented to the world as a lousy person. Fragments of a Life Loved ultimately paints Barreau as a villain, the villain in her own story, and she basically says “fuck it,” let’s tell the truth, no matter what that truth is. It takes a confident and honest person to be able to swallow their pride and let the world see them for who they truly are.
I like to think that Barreau developing this film speaks to the fact that she’s accepted responsibility for her actions, that she’s grown, and that she understands that she is flawed. I may be wrong; it may be that she finds some humor in the fact that others are willing to bash her throughout the course of this documentary–but I stand firm on the idea that she has changed, that she has become a better person, and that Fragments of a Life Loved is her way of expressing that to the world. The fact that I’m still contemplating this is a testament to the effectiveness of Fragments of a Life Loved.
Fragments of a Life Loved is actually one of the more interesting documentaries that I’ve seen in some time–and that’s due, in part, to the fact that it’s sort of awkward knowing the context of the film. Barreau is an interesting individual, both willing and able to tell the world what a terrible person she once was. I’m fascinated by what she brings to life here, and I think I may need to look back at some of her other projects as a result.
Directed by Chloé Barreau.
Written by Chloé Barreau, Marco Perez, & Giulia Sbernini.
Starring Sébastian Ryckelynck, , Jeanne Rose, Laurent Charles-Nicolas, Ariane Deboise, Rebecca Zlotowski, etc.
8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
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