The Decline of the American Empire

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Alejandra O Very witty, such enjoyable dialogues. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/25 Full Review Dave S Granted, the comparisons between Denys Arcand's The Decline of the American Empire and The Big Chill are valid in very general terms, but the similarities end there. Whereas The Big Chill is filled with interesting characters, intriguing moral dilemmas, and a killer soundtrack, The Decline of the American Empire is filled with middle-aged intellectuals blathering on in great detail about their improbably wild sex lives…and the decline of great civilizations. It's all very well done, but it is really just a matter of time before you starting getting a bit bored by all of the gritty details…and there are a lot of gritty details. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/01/23 Full Review peter s A cult movie that shows how good the Canadian film industry had been for decades. The movie is one of the most extraordinary that I have ever seen, I watched it ten times at least. It's a joy to see such a group of exceptional actors who play a superbly rich script while being directed with enormous talent. It makes me think that Denys Arcand in his active years was like a Canadian Pedro Almodovar. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Diane B Better than The Big Chill. They all sleep around with each other so much that it makes you wonder about Quebec. But smart, funny and another time capsule from an era that's now past Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/13/22 Full Review William L The Decline of the American Empire feels very much like a Quebec adaptation of The Big Chill - a group of close friends candidly discussing their personal lives, trading drama, quips, and clever remarks in an attempt to make the audience feel as if they are in on it all. But much like the Kasdan film, Decline simply seems to use its subject matter alone to appear novel; "here are a bunch of middle-aged well-to-do everymen/women laughing while speaking openly about sex, affairs, homosexuality, swinging, etc. How liberated and sincere!" It feels like cheap indulgence in the way that high school dramas with commentaries on sex do for teens, just for the bourgeoisie academic/film crowd instead. While there is actually something of a reckoning in Decline compared to The Big Chill, with consequences for actions taken (which is a step in the right direction), it also has this stuffy atmosphere to it that can make the film feel off-putting, ripe with pseudointellectualism and a very 'French' identity. The kind of film where you can see why it is to some people's tastes, and not others. Where some may see an insightful take on gender conflicts and sexuality in the modern day, others may see actors just gleefully talking about banging, and a director patting himself on the back for being "so authentic". (2.5/5) Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/25/21 Full Review S R 1001 movies to see before you die. A Canadian take on modern culture and relationships, comparing the sexes and their takes / motivations. It was on Tubi. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Decline of the American Empire

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