Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.
With the recent success of “Lost in Translation” by filmmaker Sofia Coppola, the legacy of the Coppola family name has suddenly been restored for greatness in the past few years. For her legendary father Francis Ford Coppola, his films for “The Godfather Part 1 & 2" were already considered must-see classics while his 1974 film “The Conversation” was hailed as a masterpiece with a new legion of fans. In 2001, Coppola re-released and extended his 1979 film “Apocalypse Now” to great reviews while a few years later, he restored his 1982 flop musical “One from the Heart” to newfound acclaim as he is now preparing to return to the director’s chair. The recent re-interest in Francis Ford Coppola’s film legacy is many large thanks to the work of his children Sofia and Roman. When Sofia found success in 2000 for her debut feature film “The Virgin Suicides”, Roman was an acclaimed video director for bands like the Strokes, Green Day, God Lives Underwater, Air, and several other acts including the award-winning clip for Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” (that he co-directed with ex-brother in law Spike Jonze). In 2001, he released his first feature film in a homage to the 1960s sci-fi European films entitled “CQ”.
“CQ” (pronounced “Seek You”) is a film about a young film editor in the late 60s/early 70s who gets the job to direct an action, sci-fi film after two directors get the boot. Along the way, he is forced to compromise himself with the vision of his arrogant producer and his desire to make his own personal little movie while falling for the film’s star. Written and directed by Roman Coppola, the film is that is a part comedy, part homage, and part satire to the film industry while paying tribute to the works of Roger Vadim and Mario Bava. With a diverse cast that includes such European film legends as John Phillip Law, Giancarlo Giannini, and Gerard Depardieu along with Italian film veteran Massimo Ghini, Silvio Muccino, French film ingénue Elodie Bouchez, newcomer Angela Lindvall, and American film Dean Stockwell and Billy Zane along with Jeremy Davies and Jason Schwartzman (cousin of Roman Coppola, son of Talia Shire). “CQ” is a fun, campy homage to the late 1960s European films and the auteur filmmakers who were inspired like his father.
The film begins when a young film editor and second unit director named Paul is currently making a film diary of his own life in late 1969 Paris. He’s hoping to make a black and white 16mm film only for himself and his own personal reasons while he’s dealing with the troubled relationship with his French girlfriend Marlene (Elodie Bouchez). At the same time, Paul is working for a veteran French filmmaker named Andrezj (Gerard Depardieu) on a campy, sci-fi action flick called “Code Name: Dragonfly” about a beautiful, female spy named Dragonfly (Angela Lindvall) who seeks to capture a weapon from a revolutionary leader named Mr. E (Billy Zane, in a Che Guevara-look). Paul likes working with Andrezj, as he and fellow editor Pippo (Silvio Muccino) are finishing up the film. The only problem was it has no ending. Andrezj is working on an ending that will subvert the audiences’ expectation by ending it with a whimper, not a bang. For the film’s Italian producer Enzo (Giancarlo Giannini), he doesn’t like the idea so he fires Andrezj from the picture leading Andrezj to punch a hole through the door (in a reference to the famed temper of Francis Ford Coppola).
Paul and Pippo are fired as Paul wondered what would happen with his own personal film now that he can’t borrow any more film or the camera he’s using. Marlene comes home as he tries to tell her the news but then he gets a call from Pippo that the two have been rehired as Enzo hired a new director for the film. A pompous, American horror filmmaker named Felix de Marco (Jason Schwartzman), who obviously has no idea what to do since he’s in favor of just making a camp horror musical. Paul tells Felix about the picture where it involves a corporate chairman (John Phillip Law) who hires Dragonfly to steal the weapon from Mr. E. Felix decides to the do the picture much to the delight of Enzo but Paul and Enzo’s producing partner Fabrizio (Massimo Ghini) have their doubts.
With plans to work on a trailer for the film, he meets up with actress playing Dragonfly named Valentine as they work on some dubbing and Paul suddenly is falling for her. Paul meanwhile continues work on his little film as things between him and Marlene are in trouble as she is frustrated with his desire to work on his little film. They go to a party with Pippo where they learned that Felix had a car accident and is forced out of the project. Paul sees Fabrizio who wants to recommend him to Enzo because of his work on the second-unit shots and the trailer. Paul admit, isn’t sure but he’s surprised by the honor as he sees Felix at the party, who announces that he’s getting married. Paul then sees his dad (Dean Stockwell) at the airport during the Christmas holidays where Paul told him he just been offered to direct a film and his dad is proud but is worried that he might be tempted by other women knowing about the troubled relationships he had. Paul’s dad’s words came true when Paul suddenly sees Dragonfly in his bathroom blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
Enzo sees Paul’s work and finally makes him the new director as Enzo returns to Rome for the holidays. He watches the film and notices too many loose ends, notably the weapon as he tries to tighten the story more. Pippo tries to find a reel and when he finds it in a box, it’s been cut to pieces and along with it is a code. Paul reads the code and the two suspects that Andrezj must be involved since it was originally his film. Paul tries to fix the damaged reel as he watches a scene where Dragonfly tries to fix her computer in her spaceship. Paul finds himself in the film as he’s falling more for Dragonfly and his relationship with Marlene is falling apart as he received a new camera. He goes to Rome to discuss the film with Enzo as they went to a New Year’s Eve party with his mistress (Sofia Coppola) as Paul notices the changing times and a revolution emerging. He returns home to find that Marlene has left him leaving him distraught that his personal film idea might ruin him as he finally finds himself to make the sci-fi feature the way it’s meant to be with help from Valentine.
While it’s not a perfect film with a few predictable moments and a strange ending that will leave many in a sour note, “CQ” though does have moments where it’s a very spectacular film. Roman Coppola really brings a film that is a wide mix of genres without bending it too much. Instead, he makes the film as homage to not just the European films of the 1960s, but what would be the era of the 1970s auteur style that would personally inspire him and other filmmakers. Coppola even brings in references to the past like Giancarlo Giannini’s Enzo as a reference to Dino De Laurentis and Jason Schwartzman referencing Roger Corman. Coppola isn’t trying to be groundbreaking in his debut feature but really uses the past to forge a future for himself.
The film’s look is distinct in what the 1960s looked liked thanks to the colorful vision of cinematographer Robert D. Yeomen who also uses a grainy, black-and-white vision for the 16mm film that Paul was making. The production design by Dean Tavoularis is extraordinary from its look of the spaceship and Paris to the party scenes and objects of 1969/1970 lifestyles along with the costumes by Judy Shrewsbury. Even the film’s music with a score by the French electronic group Mellow captures the camp and pop style of France and Italy along with the music supervision of longtime Sofia/Roman Coppola contributor Brian Reitzell who finds some catchy, exuberant French pop music along with the sound designs from longtime Coppola contributor Richard Beggs.
Like his little sister Sofia’s first feature “The Virgin Suicides”, Coppola definitely gathered up a great cast of actors from the pretentious art critics who reviews Paul’s little movie to the partygoers. The performances of John Phillip Law and Billy Zane in the movie of “Code Name: Dragonfly” are hilarious as Law plays up to the stereotypical boss of the 1960s film while Zane is a hoot as this Che Guevara revolutionary with a sense of sex appeal. Jason Schwartzman is downright funny as Felix D. Marco by playing the role to a hoot with Corman-like references and cheesy dance numbers. Silvio Muccino’s small role is well used as Paul’s editor partner as he comes up with a few funny lines about the destroyed footage while Massimo Ghini is wonderful as the sympathetic film producer. The small performance of Dean Stockwell as Jeremy Davies’ dad is well performed as a father who warns his son while the roles of Gerard Depardieu and Giancarlo Giannini definitely play up to parody in their respective roles of art versus commerce.
While Elodie Bouchez’s role as Marlene was small, her presence is enigmatic as Paul’s sympathetic but frustrated girlfriend. While her English wasn’t meant to be great, she makes up for it with her beauty and performance. While casting a model is risky, for newcomer Angela Lindvall, it was a very natural choice. Like Scarlett Johansson in Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation”, she has a very natural look as the actress Valentine looking like the girl-next-door while delivering lines perfectly without trying to overact or under act. Even in the Dragonfly character, she plays up to the satire of Jane Fonda in “Barbarella” that brings moments of hilarity. Jeremy Davies is easily the film’s best performance as the troubled artist Paul as Davies plays the roles with immense sensitivity and bravery. One of the finest actors in independent films, Davies delivers another stellar performance that would later follow with such films as Steven Soderbergh’s “Solaris” and Steven Shainberg’s “Secretary”.
While not up to par with his father or sister’s work, “CQ” is still an excellent debut feature from Roman Coppola. Fans of the old 1960s sci-fi, French, and Italian films will enjoy the homage and look of the film although the film’s script is a bit predictable. Many though will be annoyed by the film’s ending, or lack thereof, which is ironic to what the film is about. Thankfully, with a great cast, Roman Coppola succeeds in his debut feature and it’s likely he’ll help carry the legacy of the Coppola name to greatness. While it’s a film more for those who loved filmmaking and art, “CQ” does bring a nice element of entertainment while giving tribute to the great filmmakers of the past.
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