DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. La cartomancienne remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like they were filmed in a trance, you’ll dig this. If you need a plot that goes from point A to point B without stopping to stare at a patch of weeds, skip it. It’s for the folks who want to watch a screen and just sort of exist for ten minutes.
The whole thing starts with a girl and her laundry. It’s incredibly mundane, and honestly, I found myself watching the way the sheets flapped in the breeze more than the actual character. It’s that kind of movie.
The scene where she stops to see the fortune teller is peak comfort. The teller is just snoozing in the sun, which is a mood I think we all share on a Tuesday afternoon. The reading is quick, vague, and basically just there to set up the "will they or won't they" vibe with the guy in the water.
Speaking of the guy, he just kind of shows up. One minute it's water, the next, he’s basically just there. It reminded me a bit of the weird, stilted pacing you see in old films like The Man Who Forgot. Not that they are the same story, but they share that same dusty, forgotten-attic energy.
It’s not trying to be The Three Musketeers. It doesn’t have the budget or the desire to keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s a tiny, seaside blink of an eye. I’m not sure I’ll remember the ending tomorrow, but the sound of the waves? That stayed with me for a bit.
Sometimes you just need a movie that doesn't ask anything of you. This is definitely that movie. 🌊