Howard Hawks’ famous recipe for a good picture: three great scenes, no bad scenes. JLG acheives this with “Notre Musique” but does it on his own terms — we have three great themes, three moments, three concepts, three philosophical aha!s that float by in this river of many aha!s, none of them “bad.” There’s the exchange between the altruistic Israeli journalist and Palestinian intellectual who informs her (and us) that the only reason the world has any interest in the plight of the Palestinians is because their enemy is Israel. There’s the revelation there will only be equality in life when there is no more death. . .an afterworld perhaps, but if there is nothing to achieve, why will anyone want to live? And there is the notion that perhaps death need not only be the currency of war — and perhaps death can be an expression of peace. . .a concept floated a little bit in “Sophie’s Choice,” or maybe it was General Westmoreland destroying a village so he could save it? Obviously this is a heavy movie. But there are a couple of laughs if you can pick out the jokes. (The militant Native Americans wandering around the ruins of Sarajevo is comedy — not mocking comedy, but, inexplicably, comedy.) I liked this movie a great deal, but that’s just me. Sometimes the best art can’t be explained (’cause, like, what actually happens in this movie?) and sometimes the best art feels like maybe, just maybe, the artist slapped some shit together and is calling it art. But if it washes over you and it feels right and you leave with your head buzzing then you know you’ve seen the real thing. Oh, and speaking of Howard Hawks, he kinda gets dissed a little bit here. . .a first in French cinema, but, if you recall, JLG is actually Swiss, so all bets are off.