To preserve that earnestness Wittock then sidesteps introspection, and restricts character development to Jeanne’s aptitude for creating scaled mechanical designs in her room. Afraid, perhaps, that if we get to know her more profoundly, we might wonder if there’s trauma igniting a delusion. By the same token, the town’s dynamics are also thinly drawn—including a band of kids who taunt Jeanne and seem to visit the park every day.
Aside from Merlant’s performance, this inter-material relationship between flesh and metal is made spellbinding by cinematographer Thomas Buelens’ work in scenes where Jeanne rides on Jumbo or addresses its flat center (the closest thing to a face). As she rides or stares at her massive lover, she basks in the radiant patterns of its lights in motion. That striking, nearly hypnotic imagery calls to mind a meeting between an EarthLink and a spaceship. Jumbo has personality, and that’s a major feat accomplished entirely through the film’s visual language.
Those moments of dazzling bonding have greater impact than the one dreamlike sequence showing a semi-naked Jeanne in a white space being swallowed by a dark liquid (machinery lubricant) similar to the feeding scenes in “Under the Skin.” Because the validity of their union is never in doubt in Jeanne’s eyes, “Jumbo” functions as a straightforward allegory for the notion that love is love. If a large piece of entertainment machinery can awaken such unabashed affection from her, then surely all other, consensual human liaisons should be seen as orthodox.
In the movie's final throes, the filmmaker mystifyingly shifts tone from alluring drama to cheeky comedy. Furthermore, the story solves the conflict of parental approval through a supporting character that enters as the voice of reason yielding a muddled resolution. Though curiously charming, “Jumbo” behaves like love at first sight that doesn’t think about the consequences of the ardent now or the larger, long-term picture.
Now playing in select theaters and virtual cinemas.
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