Opened: November 3, 1995

Directed by: Agnieszka Holland

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, David Thewlis, Romane Bohringer, Dominique Blanc, Felicie Pasotti Cabarbaye, Nita Klein, James Thiérrée, Emmanuelle Oppo, Denise Chalem, Andrzej Seweryn, Christopher Thompson, Bruce Van Barthold, Christopher Chaplin, Christopher Hampton, Mathias Jung & Aza Declercq

Fueled by the emotional turmoil between Arthur Rimbaud (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Paul Verlaine (David Thewlis), Total Eclipse focuses less on the poets’ works and leaves you wanting more.

Paul Verlaine is intrigued by the work of young poet Arthur Rimbaud and invites him to stay at his house where his wife Mathilde (Romane Bohringer) is pregnant. The two poets strike up a tumultuous private and professional relationship. After Arthur’s death, his sister Isabelle (Dominique Blanc) asks Paul for Arthur’s transcripts.

DiCaprio and Thewlis don’t have strong enough chemistry to portray these men as lovers. While they argue well, the passion is missing in their intimate scenes. And it’s a shock their real-life characters ever got any writing done with the amount they fought.

Though Thewlis is often over-the-top, DiCaprio embodies the self-absorbed teen perfectly.

Final say: Nothing light here. ★★☆☆☆