THE EIGHTH DAY (17)

Directed by: Jaco van Dormael

Starring: Daniel Auteuil, Pascal Duquenne

The Pitch: Harried yuppie gets a new perspective on life when he befriends a childlike young man with Down's Syndrome.

Theo Sez: Glimmers, at the beginning and at the end, of the untrammelled imagination that made TOTO LE HEROS so magical, but mostly a trite and indefensible movie. Unconvincing both as a narrative - even in the basics, like the way the two men are thrown together (and why Harry accepts such a responsibility) - but also, much more importantly, in its depiction of Down's Syndrome sufferers. It works well enough when it gets specific (like Georges' childlike, self-centred reaction when he unwittingly causes trouble for Harry), but when it generalises about their wanting only to be loved it just seems facile; and when it sets them up as beautiful, unspoiled beings, in touch with Nature and their emotions, it's like a new kind of freakshow - the freaks paraded before us, but to evoke awe rather than pity. It might not have mattered if the film were pacy, or stylishly made, or visually striking; but it's deathly dull.