The Model Couple

William Klein
1977

It doesn't have the biting insider sense of satire that "Who Are You Polly, Magoo?" (1966) does, or the balls-out over-the-top insanity of "Mr. Freedom" (1969) but William Klein's last non-documentary feature feels like the picture he'd been working towards all along. After skewering fashion and nationalistic patriotism (without offering any viable alternatives) it seems only natural that the next target would be the humdrum complacency of modern life. Typical upper/middle class couple Jean-Michel and Claudine have been selected by a state sponsored program that will provide them with a fully furnished home and plenty of brand-name products in exchange for sharing their lives on the boob-tube with the entire nation. Obviously today's plague of reality shows come to mind when viewing this, but because Klein is far more interested in his artificial flights of fancy, the commentary is more amusing than aggressive or angry. As with his previous pictures almost every inch of the screen is aesthetically considered whether that be an austere clinical barrenness (particularly prevalent this time around) or cluttered with litter to be gobbled up by the mobile camera. The increasingly antagonistic relationship between scientist and subject is rewarding, and the inevitable intrusion of privacy in all matters (grocery shopping, quantitative assessment of orgasms) is what the film is all about, yet Klein loses focus quickly with the introduction of some pre-teen terrorists who add little besides puffery and fresh visuals to the mix. To be honest I can't be certain what Klein means to convey through these angels-with-dirty-faces, though I prefer a reading that suggests that the younger generation is just as bankrupt as their elders - more idealistic perhaps, but completely irresponsible.