For those with a keen interest in contemporary art history, E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea presents an inside perspective on the drama unfolding on the coast of France with the inhabitants of E.1027, a modernist villa in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. Part documentary, part theatrical drama, the movie centers on the true story of architect Eileen Gray (Natalie Radmall-Quirke), co-architect Jean Badovici (Axel Moustache), and artist Le Corbusier (Charles Morillon.) Eileen, an artist workaholic, is inspired to explore architecture as her medium, taking up furniture making and construction in the late 1920s.
Overshadowed by the turmoil of war and self-identity, she partners with Jean to create E.1027, a ‘refuge’ cultivated to both architects’ taste, a house born of minimalist self-expression. They name it such, using Eileen’s first initial and the numeric equivalent to letters in the alphabet to conjoin their two names, crowning the house with its moniker. As Eileen grows bored with Jean, she leaves the house to him, only to come back years later, mortified, to find that artist Le Corbusier has discovered the house and painted murals inside with the help of lonely Jean. A story of passion, craft, and betrayal, E.1027 stands as a testament to time, such as this film.
Harnessing a serene quietness, director Beatrice Minger wonderfully captures a feeling of stillness and reflection. Shying away from a heavy soundtrack, the viewer’s attention is focused towards the melancholy of Eileen, getting a sense that she never likes to be in one place for too long, certainly not long enough to warrant any noise. Instead, we are guided through the film by Eileen’s crooning, self-reflective narration.
Eileen Gray’s iconic villa E.1027 stands serenely on the coast of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in this still from E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea.
“…inside perspective to the drama unfolding with the inhabitants of E.1027…”
The camera uses a grainy, tinted filter, providing the vintage atmosphere of 20th-century Europe. Shooting E.1027’s surrounding nature, there are many beautiful shots of shorelines and forest trails. Additionally, there are plenty of horizontal, spacious shots, mirroring the calculative expanse of Eileen’s mind. However, there are some shortcomings when it comes to staying historically immersive, with some scenes featuring modern cars and modes of dress. The movie does move, often confusingly, back and forth between time, so this may or may not be intentional.
There is a distinctly stage theatre quality to the movie, with some scenes set on a more contemporary, bare stage. Carried heavily by the true material they were working with, the actors did a fine job, though the performances teetered on boring at times. Radmall-Quirke’s interpretation of Eileen is quiet, sometimes an onlooker in the present. Moustache and Morillon are less interesting. It would have been more engaging to explore a possible bisexual dynamic running through the trio, as Eileen and Le Corbusier flutter around Jean’s malleable presence. The costumes are equally minimal and muted. Eileen’s hair and choice of suits complement her angular way of thinking and architectural personality.
Although marketed as a feminist think piece on female power, the movie comes off more as an ode to Eileen, sans politics. Incorporating live interview footage with Eileen Gray at the end, there is a nice contrast to reality. My only note to Minger, cut the interpretive dance credits, please. Besides this quizzical addition, E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea is slow-paced but aesthetically beautiful and a great summer watch.
"…aesthetically beautiful and a great summer watch..."
