Audrey Diwan is attached to direct “The Marriage Portrait,” based on the novel by award-winning Northern Irish writer Maggie O’Farrell, best known for “Hamnet.”
Variety hears that the project will see the fast-rising French auteur team with two of Europe’s leading arthouse producers in Ireland’s Element Pictures (which has three films in Cannes’ official selection this year) and Italy’s Wildside (which has competition title “Limonov: The Ballad”). Film4 helped develop the feature.
Set in 1500s Renaissance Florence, “The Marriage Portrait” — which was published in 2022 — follows the fictional tale of young duchess Lucrezia de’ Medici, a sheltered 16-year-old who has spent her life locked inside the city’s grandest palazzo. But when her husband takes her on an unexpected visit to a country villa, it occurs to her that he has a sinister purpose — he intends to kill her.
Diwan, who has just completed the post-production of her...
Variety hears that the project will see the fast-rising French auteur team with two of Europe’s leading arthouse producers in Ireland’s Element Pictures (which has three films in Cannes’ official selection this year) and Italy’s Wildside (which has competition title “Limonov: The Ballad”). Film4 helped develop the feature.
Set in 1500s Renaissance Florence, “The Marriage Portrait” — which was published in 2022 — follows the fictional tale of young duchess Lucrezia de’ Medici, a sheltered 16-year-old who has spent her life locked inside the city’s grandest palazzo. But when her husband takes her on an unexpected visit to a country villa, it occurs to her that he has a sinister purpose — he intends to kill her.
Diwan, who has just completed the post-production of her...
- 5/14/2024
- by Alex Ritman and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Christopher Abbott is returning to his indie roots and reuniting with his 2015 filmmaking collaborator Josh Mond for upcoming feature “It Doesn’t Matter.”
Abbott, who recently appeared in “Poor Things” and is set to lead Universal’s “Wolfman,” stars opposite Jay Will in the dramedy revolving around the redemptive relationship between a lost man from Staten Island and a young filmmaker.
“It Doesn’t Matter” premieres at the Acid programming section, run by France’s Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (Acid) and takes place parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. “It Doesn’t Matter” is writer/director Mond’s first movie since his breakout Sundance 2015 directorial debut “James White,” which also starred Abbott.
In addition to directing, Mond previously produced Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and Antonio Campos’ “Simon Killer.” “It Doesn’t Matter” is his sophomore film.
Mond teased “It Doesn’t Matter” to IndieWire in 2015, saying that while the...
Abbott, who recently appeared in “Poor Things” and is set to lead Universal’s “Wolfman,” stars opposite Jay Will in the dramedy revolving around the redemptive relationship between a lost man from Staten Island and a young filmmaker.
“It Doesn’t Matter” premieres at the Acid programming section, run by France’s Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (Acid) and takes place parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. “It Doesn’t Matter” is writer/director Mond’s first movie since his breakout Sundance 2015 directorial debut “James White,” which also starred Abbott.
In addition to directing, Mond previously produced Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and Antonio Campos’ “Simon Killer.” “It Doesn’t Matter” is his sophomore film.
Mond teased “It Doesn’t Matter” to IndieWire in 2015, saying that while the...
- 4/16/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Following the main lineups for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, a handful of sidebar slates have been unveiled, featuring Directors Fortnight, Critics Week, and Acid. Notable highlights include the Sundance favorite Good One (read our review here), Tyler Taormina’s Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point starring Michael Cera, the first film in over a decade from James White director Josh Mond, the Christopher Abbott-led It Doesn’t Matter, Eat the Night from Jessica Forever duo Caroline Poggi & Jonathan Vinel, Carson Lund’s Eephus, Patricia Mazuy’s Visting Hours, The Hyperboreans, a new film from The Wolf House directors Cristobal Leo & Joaquin Cocina, Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century follow-up Universal Language, and more.
Check out the lineups below.
Cannes Directors Fortnight
Feature films:
“Ma Vie Ma Gueule,” Sophie Fillieres (France) – opening film
“A Son Image,” Thierry de Peretti (France)
“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” Tyler Taormina (USA)
“Desert of Namibia,...
Check out the lineups below.
Cannes Directors Fortnight
Feature films:
“Ma Vie Ma Gueule,” Sophie Fillieres (France) – opening film
“A Son Image,” Thierry de Peretti (France)
“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” Tyler Taormina (USA)
“Desert of Namibia,...
- 4/16/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
France’s Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (Acid) has unveiled the nine features it will showcase in its parallel Cannes section, running May 15-24. Acid focuses on films without French distributors and first features.
Comprising three documentaries and six fiction features, all the titles are world premieres.
The line-up includes Josh Mond’s It Doesn’t Matter starring Christopher Abbott and Jay Will. The US-French co-production follows the fortuitous relationship between an American man and a young filmmaker over the course of seven years. Mond’s debut feature James White premiered at Sundance in 2015 while his producing credits include Martha Marcy May Marlene.
Comprising three documentaries and six fiction features, all the titles are world premieres.
The line-up includes Josh Mond’s It Doesn’t Matter starring Christopher Abbott and Jay Will. The US-French co-production follows the fortuitous relationship between an American man and a young filmmaker over the course of seven years. Mond’s debut feature James White premiered at Sundance in 2015 while his producing credits include Martha Marcy May Marlene.
- 4/16/2024
- ScreenDaily
Cannes parallel section Acid, run by France’s Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema (Acid), has unveiled its 2024 line-up. (scroll down for full list)
This year’s selection world premieres nine features, three of which are documentaries.
They include It Doesn’t Matter, the second feature by U.S. producer and director Josh Mond, who made waves with his first movie James White at Sundance in 2015, and has since focused mainly on producing.
Christopher Abbott and Jay Will star in the drama revolving around the redemptive relationship between a lost man from Staten Island and a young filmmaker.
Launched in 1992, Acid previously showcased the early features of the likes of Oscar winner Justine Triet and Oscar-nominated director Kaouther Ben Hania as well as award winning filmmakers Radu Jude, Guy Maddin and Robert Guediguian.
Cannes 2023 Palme d’Or winner Triet’s first feature Age of Panic (La Bataille de Solférino...
This year’s selection world premieres nine features, three of which are documentaries.
They include It Doesn’t Matter, the second feature by U.S. producer and director Josh Mond, who made waves with his first movie James White at Sundance in 2015, and has since focused mainly on producing.
Christopher Abbott and Jay Will star in the drama revolving around the redemptive relationship between a lost man from Staten Island and a young filmmaker.
Launched in 1992, Acid previously showcased the early features of the likes of Oscar winner Justine Triet and Oscar-nominated director Kaouther Ben Hania as well as award winning filmmakers Radu Jude, Guy Maddin and Robert Guediguian.
Cannes 2023 Palme d’Or winner Triet’s first feature Age of Panic (La Bataille de Solférino...
- 4/16/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Music Box is unveiling the trailer for “Revoir Paris,” a French drama boasting a Cesar-winning performance by Virginie Efira. The movie, which bowed at Cannes’ Directors Fortnight and played at Toronto, will have its New York premiere on June 23 at Film at Lincoln Center and IFC Film Center.
A meditation on healing, the film tells the story of Mia (Efira), a married translator who survived a mass shooting in a Paris restaurant, and feels haunted by the trauma, yet unable to recollect memories of the tragic attack. Determined to reconstruct the sequence of events and reestablish a sense of normalcy, Mia finds herself repeatedly returning to the bistro where the shooting happened. In the process she forms bonds with fellow survivors, including banker Thomas (Benoît Magimel) and teenager Félicia (Nastya Golubeva). Efira, who just won a Cesar Award for her role in the film, stars opposite Magimel, the Cesar-winning actor of “Pacifiction,...
A meditation on healing, the film tells the story of Mia (Efira), a married translator who survived a mass shooting in a Paris restaurant, and feels haunted by the trauma, yet unable to recollect memories of the tragic attack. Determined to reconstruct the sequence of events and reestablish a sense of normalcy, Mia finds herself repeatedly returning to the bistro where the shooting happened. In the process she forms bonds with fellow survivors, including banker Thomas (Benoît Magimel) and teenager Félicia (Nastya Golubeva). Efira, who just won a Cesar Award for her role in the film, stars opposite Magimel, the Cesar-winning actor of “Pacifiction,...
- 2/28/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Emmanuelle Bercot’s Peaceful (De Son Vivant in the French) is a noble endeavor, if a bit didactic. Above all else the film serves as a solid showcase for its stellar cast. We follow a young acting teacher, Benjamin (Benoît Magimel), who’s doing his best to ignore the fact that he is dying. He’s got pancreatic cancer. His controlling mother Crystal (Catherine Deneuve) appears more urgently worried. Deneuve, unsurprisingly, is the anchor of this picture. The living legend excels at making it look easy, and here—playing both steadfast and guilt-stricken—she’s as natural as ever. A truly impressive less-is-more supporting turn. Magimel also does strong work, accentuating the curse of a cancer-riddled body. He can’t really compete with Deneuve in their scenes together, but who can? Points for the effort alone.
On the edges of its central narrative is Dr. Eddé (Gabriel Sara), the optimistic...
On the edges of its central narrative is Dr. Eddé (Gabriel Sara), the optimistic...
- 11/7/2022
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Peaceful (De Son Vivant) Studio Canal Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net, linked from Rotten Tomatoes by Harvey Karten Director: Emmanuelle Bercot Screenwriter: Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Gabriel A. Sara, Cécile de France, Oscar Morgan Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 10/12/22 Opens: October 28, 2022 If you don’t know that stage […]
The post Peaceful (De Son Vivant) Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Peaceful (De Son Vivant) Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 10/28/2022
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Music Box Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Alice Winocour’s heartfelt drama “Paris Memories” which world premiered at Cannes’ Directors Fortnight and had a gala screening at Toronto. It’s one of the five finalists for France’s official submission to the 95th Academy Awards.
The critically acclaimed film stars Virginie Efira as Mia, a survivor of a terrorist attack similar to the one that hit Paris venues, including the Bataclan concert hall and several bistros, in November 2015. Three months after the tragedy, Mia still feels unable to pick her life back up so she sets off to investigate her memories, hoping to find a way back to happiness.
The film has a personal resonance for Winocour whose own brother was at Bataclan on that fateful night of Nov. 13 and survived the assault. Winocour wrote the script in collaboration with Marcia Romano and Jean-Stéphane Bron. Isabelle Madelaine...
The critically acclaimed film stars Virginie Efira as Mia, a survivor of a terrorist attack similar to the one that hit Paris venues, including the Bataclan concert hall and several bistros, in November 2015. Three months after the tragedy, Mia still feels unable to pick her life back up so she sets off to investigate her memories, hoping to find a way back to happiness.
The film has a personal resonance for Winocour whose own brother was at Bataclan on that fateful night of Nov. 13 and survived the assault. Winocour wrote the script in collaboration with Marcia Romano and Jean-Stéphane Bron. Isabelle Madelaine...
- 9/22/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The French drama details a woman getting her life back on track following a terrorist attack.
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight title Paris Memories, by Alice Winocour, from Pathé International.
The French-language drama stars Virginie Efira, best known for her role in Oscar-nominated Elle, as a woman struggling to get her life back on track three months after surviving a terrorist attack in Paris.
Winocour collaborated on the screenplay with Happening
screenwriter Marcia Romano and Jean-Stéphane Bron, with Dharmsala’s Isabelle Madelaine and Darius Film’s Emilie Tisné producing.
It is the second...
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight title Paris Memories, by Alice Winocour, from Pathé International.
The French-language drama stars Virginie Efira, best known for her role in Oscar-nominated Elle, as a woman struggling to get her life back on track three months after surviving a terrorist attack in Paris.
Winocour collaborated on the screenplay with Happening
screenwriter Marcia Romano and Jean-Stéphane Bron, with Dharmsala’s Isabelle Madelaine and Darius Film’s Emilie Tisné producing.
It is the second...
- 8/2/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
The French drama details a woman getting her life back on track following a terrorist attack.
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight title Paris Memories, by Anna Winocour, from Pathé International.
The French-language drama stars Virginie Efira, best known for her role in Oscar-nominated Elle, as a woman struggling to get her life back on track three months after surviving a terrorist attack in Paris.
Winocour collaborated on the screenplay with Happening
screenwriter Marcia Romano and Jean-Stéphane Bron, with Dharmsala’s Isabelle Madelaine and Darius Film’s Emilie Tisné producing.
It is the second...
Picturehouse Entertainment has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight title Paris Memories, by Anna Winocour, from Pathé International.
The French-language drama stars Virginie Efira, best known for her role in Oscar-nominated Elle, as a woman struggling to get her life back on track three months after surviving a terrorist attack in Paris.
Winocour collaborated on the screenplay with Happening
screenwriter Marcia Romano and Jean-Stéphane Bron, with Dharmsala’s Isabelle Madelaine and Darius Film’s Emilie Tisné producing.
It is the second...
- 8/2/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
The French drama thriller film Happening (French: L’événement) had its limited release last May 6, 2022. The film is directed by Audrey Diwan from a screenplay Diwan co-wrote with Marcia Romano. The film is based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Annie Ernaux and stars Anamaria Vartolomei and Luàna Bajrami. Set in 1960s France, the plot centers on Anne, a young student who finds out she is pregnant. Fearing she won’t finish her studies and have the future she has worked hard for, she is confronted with the decision to have an illegal abortion. The Venice Golden
Five Movies To Watch When You’re Done With “Happening”...
Five Movies To Watch When You’re Done With “Happening”...
- 6/2/2022
- by A.E. Oats
- TVovermind.com
This review of “Happening” was first published May 5 before the film’s opening in NYC and Los Angeles.
Rarely has there been a narrative film that feels more current than “Happening,” a French drama about the trials of a young women attempting to get an abortion — in 1963.
Audrey Diwan (“Losing It”) based her second film, the top prize-winner at last year’s Venice Film Festival, on Annie Ernaux’s autobiographical novel of the same name. Though this is one woman’s story, Diwan (who cowrote the script with Marcia Romano) directs it with an urgency that makes clear: it could be anyone’s.
Well, not anyone, of course. But certainly anyone who finds herself pregnant without access to safe and legal abortion, which is the case for Anne (an excellent Anamaria Vartolomei). Until the moment her calendar reveals the unavoidable truth, Anne is no different from her best friends, Hélène...
Rarely has there been a narrative film that feels more current than “Happening,” a French drama about the trials of a young women attempting to get an abortion — in 1963.
Audrey Diwan (“Losing It”) based her second film, the top prize-winner at last year’s Venice Film Festival, on Annie Ernaux’s autobiographical novel of the same name. Though this is one woman’s story, Diwan (who cowrote the script with Marcia Romano) directs it with an urgency that makes clear: it could be anyone’s.
Well, not anyone, of course. But certainly anyone who finds herself pregnant without access to safe and legal abortion, which is the case for Anne (an excellent Anamaria Vartolomei). Until the moment her calendar reveals the unavoidable truth, Anne is no different from her best friends, Hélène...
- 5/13/2022
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
Wow, now there’s some epic movie “subject matter” timing, almost on par with The China Syndrome (in theatres when the news on Three Mile Island broke). Now, mind you this film’s set over 60 years ago, and it’s based on a celebrated novel from 2000. But it couldn’t be released at a better time. Oh, and it arrives after receiving many significant awards, particularly the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion last year. And though its themes have dominated US headlines for the last couple of weeks, a very long time ago in a foreign land it was still a most dire and morally fraught Happening.
That aforementioned time is 1960 and that land in France, in a medium-sized city far from bustling Paris. Twenty-year-old Anne (Anamarie Vartolomei) is living on the campus of what we might call a “junior college”, but only miles away from her folks Gabrielle...
That aforementioned time is 1960 and that land in France, in a medium-sized city far from bustling Paris. Twenty-year-old Anne (Anamarie Vartolomei) is living on the campus of what we might call a “junior college”, but only miles away from her folks Gabrielle...
- 5/13/2022
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Chicago – In an extraordinary flash of timing, the new French film “Happening” gets a general release in select theaters on May 13th, right in the midst of an another abortion debate in the U.S. The story of a young woman seeking the procedure in 1963 features Anamarie Varolomei and is adapted by director Audrey Diwan. They spoke to HollywoodChicago.com.
Happening” is an adaptation of a notable French novel, written by Annie Ermaux, about a young woman trying desperately to find an abortion provider in the illegal era of 1963 France (they’ll throw both the seeker and the provider in jail). Anamaria Vartolomei is Anne, a whipsmart and ambitious working class student who seeks a different world beyond her roots. When she becomes pregnant through a temporary encounter, she desperately seeks the procedure to make sure her circumstance remains with her.
Anamaria Vartolomei as Anne in ‘Happening’
Photo credit: IFC Films
Director Audrey Diwan,...
Happening” is an adaptation of a notable French novel, written by Annie Ermaux, about a young woman trying desperately to find an abortion provider in the illegal era of 1963 France (they’ll throw both the seeker and the provider in jail). Anamaria Vartolomei is Anne, a whipsmart and ambitious working class student who seeks a different world beyond her roots. When she becomes pregnant through a temporary encounter, she desperately seeks the procedure to make sure her circumstance remains with her.
Anamaria Vartolomei as Anne in ‘Happening’
Photo credit: IFC Films
Director Audrey Diwan,...
- 5/12/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Happening is a drama about a young student in small-town France in 1963 who needs an abortion, a medical chore made extremely difficult because abortion is outlawed. I first saw this film in early March, and it was a harrowing and very necessary cinematic experience.
I saw Happening again just after the unprecedented leak from the US Supreme Court indicating that the justices will soon overturn the landmark case of Roe v Wade, effectively outlawing abortion across wide swathes of America. Anyone paying attention in recent years knew this was coming, but the seeming confirmation of it was shocking anyway. Watching this film for the second time with the almost certain knowledge that what it depicts may shortly no longer be historical but current reality once more was like a kick in the teeth.
I cannot overstate the absolute urgency of this film. Movies don’t get much more essential than this one.
I saw Happening again just after the unprecedented leak from the US Supreme Court indicating that the justices will soon overturn the landmark case of Roe v Wade, effectively outlawing abortion across wide swathes of America. Anyone paying attention in recent years knew this was coming, but the seeming confirmation of it was shocking anyway. Watching this film for the second time with the almost certain knowledge that what it depicts may shortly no longer be historical but current reality once more was like a kick in the teeth.
I cannot overstate the absolute urgency of this film. Movies don’t get much more essential than this one.
- 5/6/2022
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Audrey Diwan’s Happening launched New Directors/New Films in April, mesmerizing viewers with the story of a brilliant literature student from a working-class background seeking an abortion to keep her life from derailing. In 1963 France the procedure was illegal. The suspense builds with each week a new chapter title as she seeks help from doctors, friends, the boy she slept with, and her body continue to change. Everyone backs away, judgmental, terrified of being thrown in prison for helping, or both.
‘Happening’ took the Golden Lion in Venice last year. Star Anamaria Vartolomei won the César Award for best newcomer Deadline review here. Diwan and Marcia Romano wrote the screenplay based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Annie Ernaux.
IFC Films releases ‘Happening’ (L’événement) in four theaters this weekend – IFC Center/Lincoln Plaza in New York, the Landmark/the Grove in LA, expanding thereafter a bit faster than anticipated.
‘Happening’ took the Golden Lion in Venice last year. Star Anamaria Vartolomei won the César Award for best newcomer Deadline review here. Diwan and Marcia Romano wrote the screenplay based on the 2000 novel of the same name by Annie Ernaux.
IFC Films releases ‘Happening’ (L’événement) in four theaters this weekend – IFC Center/Lincoln Plaza in New York, the Landmark/the Grove in LA, expanding thereafter a bit faster than anticipated.
- 5/6/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Happening’ Is an Award-Winning French Drama About Abortion. It’s Also the Most Urgent Movie of 2022
“Can you help me?”
It’s the first sentence you hear in Happening, filmmaker Audrey Diwan’s loose adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s semi-memoir–ish novel, and given that the opening credits are still rolling over a black background, it’s hard to say who’s asking whom for what. But it’s definitely a female voice, and belongs to one of the three young woman getting ready for a night out. Two of them are ribbing each other about their outfits, their looks, their chances of getting lucky; the other,...
It’s the first sentence you hear in Happening, filmmaker Audrey Diwan’s loose adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s semi-memoir–ish novel, and given that the opening credits are still rolling over a black background, it’s hard to say who’s asking whom for what. But it’s definitely a female voice, and belongs to one of the three young woman getting ready for a night out. Two of them are ribbing each other about their outfits, their looks, their chances of getting lucky; the other,...
- 5/5/2022
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
After winning the Golden Lion at Venice 2021, followed by actress Anamaria Vartolomei scoring Best Female Newcomer at the 2022 Césars, Audrey Diwan’s harrowing abortion drama “Happening” is finally coming to a theater near you. And it couldn’t be more urgent or timely.
The film will open in American theaters the same week that the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court is reportedly on the verge of reversing the court’s 1973 decision in favor of Roe v. Wade, which made abortion legal across the United States. Now, 24 red states are preparing abortion restrictions. The frightening reality of France in 1963 in “Happening” has suddenly become, not a distant memory, but a stark portent of things to come.
“Happening” is immersive, luring us close to the experience of a 23-year-old student trying to get an illegal abortion back in 1963: a taboo, repressed, internal, silent journey. She cannot even tell...
The film will open in American theaters the same week that the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court is reportedly on the verge of reversing the court’s 1973 decision in favor of Roe v. Wade, which made abortion legal across the United States. Now, 24 red states are preparing abortion restrictions. The frightening reality of France in 1963 in “Happening” has suddenly become, not a distant memory, but a stark portent of things to come.
“Happening” is immersive, luring us close to the experience of a 23-year-old student trying to get an illegal abortion back in 1963: a taboo, repressed, internal, silent journey. She cannot even tell...
- 5/4/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
This year’s ceremony was uncharacteristically devoid of controversy after politically-charged editions in 2020 and 2021.
Xavier Giannoli’s costume drama Lost Illusions was the big winner at the 47th Cesar awards of France’s Academy of Cinema and Arts and Sciences on Friday evening (25), winning best film, adapted screenplay, costume and supporting actor among others.
The adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s19th-century novel premiered in competition at Venice last year. It was the frontrunner at the nomination stage, making it into 15 of the 24 César categories.
The other big winner of the evening was Leos Carax’s English-language musical Annette. Carax won best director,...
Xavier Giannoli’s costume drama Lost Illusions was the big winner at the 47th Cesar awards of France’s Academy of Cinema and Arts and Sciences on Friday evening (25), winning best film, adapted screenplay, costume and supporting actor among others.
The adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s19th-century novel premiered in competition at Venice last year. It was the frontrunner at the nomination stage, making it into 15 of the 24 César categories.
The other big winner of the evening was Leos Carax’s English-language musical Annette. Carax won best director,...
- 2/25/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Ceremony for awards voted on by 4,363 members of the César academy will take place on February 25.
Xavier Giannoli’s literary adaptation Lost Illusions is the frontrunner in the nomination stage of the 47th edition of France’s César awards, followed by Leos Carax’s Annette and Valérie Lemercier’s Aline.
France’s Academy of Cinema and Arts and Sciences unveiled the nomination list online on Wednesday morning (January 26), ahead of the ceremony scheduled to take place on February 25.
Giannoli’s adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s eponymous 19th-century novel, which premiered in competition at Venice last year, was nominated in...
Xavier Giannoli’s literary adaptation Lost Illusions is the frontrunner in the nomination stage of the 47th edition of France’s César awards, followed by Leos Carax’s Annette and Valérie Lemercier’s Aline.
France’s Academy of Cinema and Arts and Sciences unveiled the nomination list online on Wednesday morning (January 26), ahead of the ceremony scheduled to take place on February 25.
Giannoli’s adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s eponymous 19th-century novel, which premiered in competition at Venice last year, was nominated in...
- 1/26/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Update: Xavier Giannoli’s Illusions Perdues (Lost Illusions) leads nominations for the 2022 César Awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscar. The Venice premiere scored 15 mentions, followed by Leos Carax’s Annette, which opened the Cannes Film Festival last year and has 11 nominations. They are followed by Valérie Lemercier’s Aline, the musical dramedy inspired by the life of Céline Dion which also debuted in Cannes and has 10 nods. (Scroll down for the full list of nominations.)
Interestingly, the three films that France shortlisted for the International Feature Academy Award race came in on the lower end. Cédric Jiminez’s Bac Nord (The Stronghold) took seven nominations, while Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner Happening settles for four, tying Cannes Palme d’Or winner Titane.
The latter was France’s eventual entry to the Oscars, but did not make the shortlist. It was also shut out of the Best Film category at the Césars today.
Interestingly, the three films that France shortlisted for the International Feature Academy Award race came in on the lower end. Cédric Jiminez’s Bac Nord (The Stronghold) took seven nominations, while Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner Happening settles for four, tying Cannes Palme d’Or winner Titane.
The latter was France’s eventual entry to the Oscars, but did not make the shortlist. It was also shut out of the Best Film category at the Césars today.
- 1/26/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
A suicidal It specialist and a blind archivist help a dying woman find the child she gave up for adoption in French director Albert Dupontel’s “Adieu les cons,” rechristened “Bye Bye Morons” in the U.S.. If you’re wondering how the iconoclastic Dupontel would incorporate such a trio into a comedy, drama, satire or farce, therein lies the issue: “Bye Bye Morons” tries to be all four of those genres at once, often to its detriment.
The visually inventive helmer, whose films are frequently based on dark and provocative ideas, again uses his anti-authoritarian streak as a blunt instrument, creating a frenetic and labored work that’s long on half-explored themes and short on laughs. That said, Gallic audiences thoroughly embraced the film, which opened days after the first Covid-19 curfew shut down a handful of major French cities in October 2020. Amid such exceptional circumstances, the film became a runaway box office success,...
The visually inventive helmer, whose films are frequently based on dark and provocative ideas, again uses his anti-authoritarian streak as a blunt instrument, creating a frenetic and labored work that’s long on half-explored themes and short on laughs. That said, Gallic audiences thoroughly embraced the film, which opened days after the first Covid-19 curfew shut down a handful of major French cities in October 2020. Amid such exceptional circumstances, the film became a runaway box office success,...
- 12/24/2021
- by Mark Keizer
- Variety Film + TV
IFC Films to release hot button abortion drama theatrically in early 2022.
IFC Films and FilmNation have prevailed in a bidding war for US rights to Audrey Diwan’s hot-button abortion drama and Venice Golden Lion winner Happening.
The deal for the film was negotiated by IFC Films president Arianna Bocco with CAA Media Finance and Wild Bunch on behalf of the filmmakers. Wild Bunch International handles sales outside the US.
‘Happening’: Venice Review
IFC Films will release the film theatrically in early 2022 and according to reports has committed to a 45-day exclusive theatrical release. The film’s timliness could...
IFC Films and FilmNation have prevailed in a bidding war for US rights to Audrey Diwan’s hot-button abortion drama and Venice Golden Lion winner Happening.
The deal for the film was negotiated by IFC Films president Arianna Bocco with CAA Media Finance and Wild Bunch on behalf of the filmmakers. Wild Bunch International handles sales outside the US.
‘Happening’: Venice Review
IFC Films will release the film theatrically in early 2022 and according to reports has committed to a 45-day exclusive theatrical release. The film’s timliness could...
- 10/5/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
IFC Films and FilmNation have emerged victorious in a bidding war for U.S. distribution rights to “Happening,” a French drama that won the top prize at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
IFC Films plans to release the movie in theaters in early 2022, but the company has not set an exact date yet.
“Happening” is the sophomore feature of French director Audrey Diwan (“Losing It”). Adapted from Annie Ernaux’s semi-autobiographical novel, the film takes place in 1960s France and centers on a promising young student who gets pregnant at a time when abortions aren’t legal in the country. The movie’s official logline reads: “Anne is a bright young student with a promising future ahead of her. But when she falls pregnant, she sees the opportunity to finish her studies and escape the constraints of her social background disappearing. With her final exams fast approaching and her belly growing,...
IFC Films plans to release the movie in theaters in early 2022, but the company has not set an exact date yet.
“Happening” is the sophomore feature of French director Audrey Diwan (“Losing It”). Adapted from Annie Ernaux’s semi-autobiographical novel, the film takes place in 1960s France and centers on a promising young student who gets pregnant at a time when abortions aren’t legal in the country. The movie’s official logline reads: “Anne is a bright young student with a promising future ahead of her. But when she falls pregnant, she sees the opportunity to finish her studies and escape the constraints of her social background disappearing. With her final exams fast approaching and her belly growing,...
- 10/5/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: After a bidding battle, IFC Films president Arianna Bocco and FilmNation Entertainment CEO Glen Basner won U.S. rights to the Audrey Diwan-directed drama Happening. Diwan wrote the script with Marcia Romano based on Annie Emaux’s semi-autobiographical novel about a young woman whose future is threatened after she becomes pregnant at a time before abortion had been legalized in France. The provocative film won the Golden Lion at Venice and has the potential to be a zeitgeist picture when IFC releases it here early next year, as conservative states like Texas pass abortion laws that challenge Roe V Wade.
Sources said there were three other bidders in the mix and part of the reason IFC got the upper hand was its commitment to a full length theatrical window of 45 days so that the picture can build its audience. IFC will release the picture early next year in conjunction with FilmNation.
Sources said there were three other bidders in the mix and part of the reason IFC got the upper hand was its commitment to a full length theatrical window of 45 days so that the picture can build its audience. IFC will release the picture early next year in conjunction with FilmNation.
- 10/5/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Augustine, Maryland and Proxima filmmaker Alice Winocour is set to begin production on her fourth feature film with production beginning this month and lasting into December. It appears that after some retooling that Virginie Efira has replaced the briefly mentioned Nicole Kidman in the lead role. Informed by the nightmarish events of the Paris November 2015 attacks, Revoir Paris was originally conceived as an English language project. Ioncinema.com has been keeping tabs on the project since 2020 — Marcia Romano and Jean-Stéphane Bron co-wrote the project. Romano was recently celebrated for Happening – Audrey Diwan’s Golden Lion winner. Look for Revoir Paris to be readied for the fall film festival season.…...
- 10/4/2021
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” won a pair of prizes at the 47th Deauville American Film Festival where “Blue Bayou,” “Down With the King,” “Pleasure” and “John and the Hole” also picked up awards during the closing ceremony. Michael Shannon, who was previously at Deauville with “99 Homes” and “Take Shelter,” received the honorary Talent Award from French helmer Bertrand Bonello, who sat on the jury, during the event.
“Red Rocket” stars Simon Rex as a retiring porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown where no one is eager to see him back. The movie, which world premiered in competition at Cannes, won the jury prize (shared with Ninja Thyberg’s “Pleasure”) and the critics awards. Both Baker and Rex were on hand in Deauville to receive the awards. Baker said there were fewer and fewer filmmakers directing indie films in the U.S. “Franchises and series will...
“Red Rocket” stars Simon Rex as a retiring porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown where no one is eager to see him back. The movie, which world premiered in competition at Cannes, won the jury prize (shared with Ninja Thyberg’s “Pleasure”) and the critics awards. Both Baker and Rex were on hand in Deauville to receive the awards. Baker said there were fewer and fewer filmmakers directing indie films in the U.S. “Franchises and series will...
- 9/11/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The feature is adapted from French writer Annie Ernaux 2019 on her illegal abortion in 1964.
French novelist, screenwriter and director Audrey Diwan broke into cinema as the co-writer of a series of thrillers including Paris Under Watch, The Connection and recent Cannes selection and box office hit Bac Nord with her former partner Cédric Jimenez.
She arrives in competition at the Venice Film Festival this year with her second solo feature Happening. Adapted from the 2019 work of respected French writer Annie Ernaux, it recounts the author’s struggle to get an abortion as a student in 1964, 11 years before abortion was legalised...
French novelist, screenwriter and director Audrey Diwan broke into cinema as the co-writer of a series of thrillers including Paris Under Watch, The Connection and recent Cannes selection and box office hit Bac Nord with her former partner Cédric Jimenez.
She arrives in competition at the Venice Film Festival this year with her second solo feature Happening. Adapted from the 2019 work of respected French writer Annie Ernaux, it recounts the author’s struggle to get an abortion as a student in 1964, 11 years before abortion was legalised...
- 9/6/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Dylan Penn, the young actor of Sean Penn’s “Flag Day” which competed at Cannes, will be receiving the Hollywood Rising-Star Award at the upcoming Deauville American Film Festival.
The Hollywood Rising-Star Award launched in 2011 and handed out its inaugural nod to Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain, and went on to pay tribute to Paul Dano, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Olsen, Chloé Grace Moretz, Daniel Radcliffe, Shailene Woodley, Elle Fanning and Sophie Turner.
Penn, who is the daughter of Sean Penn and Robin Wright, received critical acclaim for her performance in “Flag Day,” in which she held her first major role as Jennifer Vogel. Described as an intimate family portrait, the film is inspired by the real-life story of Vogel and the dysfunctional relationship she had with her fascinating father, who happened to be a flamboyant conman and bank robber.
The Hollywood Rising-Star Award launched in 2011 and handed out its inaugural nod to Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain, and went on to pay tribute to Paul Dano, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Olsen, Chloé Grace Moretz, Daniel Radcliffe, Shailene Woodley, Elle Fanning and Sophie Turner.
Penn, who is the daughter of Sean Penn and Robin Wright, received critical acclaim for her performance in “Flag Day,” in which she held her first major role as Jennifer Vogel. Described as an intimate family portrait, the film is inspired by the real-life story of Vogel and the dysfunctional relationship she had with her fascinating father, who happened to be a flamboyant conman and bank robber.
- 8/23/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
There are two types of people in this world, apparently: Those who would find a staff-led singalong of “Let My People Go” in a hospital cancer ward comforting, even inspiring, and those for whom it would only exacerbate the agony. Emmanuelle Bercot’s heart-on-sleeve medical drama “Peaceful” is populated largely by the former group, and duly presumes a high tolerance for sentimentality in its audience — though there are pockets of perceptiveness amid its stickier emotional gestures. Following the last year in the life of terminal cancer patient Benjamin (Benoit Magimel) as he struggles to accept his imminent death and tie up the loose ends of his past, the film is too emotionally blunt not to wring tears (or at least a solid lump in the throat) where required, though they don’t always feel artfully earned. Either way, at over two hours, it’s a long trudge toward an inevitable end.
- 7/26/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
At a table in his house, Georges, an aging movie star with a reputation for uninsurable off-set shenanigans — played in a staggering coup of against-type casting by Gérard Depardieu — is running lines with his private security guard Aïssa (“Divines” breakout Déborah Lukumuena). While they rehearse, Georges cracks walnuts under heavy whomps from his meaty fist; Aïssa barely flicks a brow in response but her alarmed amusement is palpable. This funny little scene is Constance Meyer’s charming, refreshingly un-sappy odd-couple dramedy “Robust” in miniature: Depardieu all bluster and boom, Lukumuena quietly snaffling whole scenes away from him with just the sparkle in her eye.
The tale of an unlikely friendship blossoming between a wealthy older white man and his young Black helper might set the schmaltz alarm a-tinkling, but this is no “Intouchables,” and not just because, with its tactile emphasis on skin and heft and physical contact, “Robust” feels entirely touchable.
The tale of an unlikely friendship blossoming between a wealthy older white man and his young Black helper might set the schmaltz alarm a-tinkling, but this is no “Intouchables,” and not just because, with its tactile emphasis on skin and heft and physical contact, “Robust” feels entirely touchable.
- 7/8/2021
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
De son vivant
Emmanuelle Bercot reteams with Catherine Deneuve for her sixth feature, De son vivant (In His Lifetime) but unfortunately, Deneuve suffered a minor stroke back in November of 2019. Produced by Les Films du Kiosque and France 2 Cinema, this was written by Marcia Romano (who also wrote Bercot’s 2015 title Standing Tall – read review). Joining Bercot’s team is Dp Yves Cape (Carax’s Holy Motors; Bruno Dumont’s Humanite and 2006 title Flanders), who recently filmed Bercot on the set of Cedric Kahn’s Happy Birthday (2019), which co-starred Deneuve as well.…...
Emmanuelle Bercot reteams with Catherine Deneuve for her sixth feature, De son vivant (In His Lifetime) but unfortunately, Deneuve suffered a minor stroke back in November of 2019. Produced by Les Films du Kiosque and France 2 Cinema, this was written by Marcia Romano (who also wrote Bercot’s 2015 title Standing Tall – read review). Joining Bercot’s team is Dp Yves Cape (Carax’s Holy Motors; Bruno Dumont’s Humanite and 2006 title Flanders), who recently filmed Bercot on the set of Cedric Kahn’s Happy Birthday (2019), which co-starred Deneuve as well.…...
- 1/2/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
De son vivant
It seems director Emmanuelle Bercot remains nearly inextricable from Catherine Deneuve, as the director and icon are reuniting on Bercot’s sixth feature, De son vivant (In His Lifetime). Unfortunately, Deneuve suffered a minor stroke, which is being produced by Les Films du Kiosque and France 2 Cinema. Scribe Marcia Romano (who also wrote Bercot’s 2015 title Standing Tall – read review) is on hand. Joining Bercot’s team is Dp Yves Cape (Carax’s stunning Holy Motors; Bruno Dumont’s 2006 Flanders and 1999 Humanite), who recently filmed Bercot on the set of Cedric Kahn’s Happy Birthday (2019), which co-starred Deneuve, while Cecile de France and Benoit Magimel are also in the cast.…...
It seems director Emmanuelle Bercot remains nearly inextricable from Catherine Deneuve, as the director and icon are reuniting on Bercot’s sixth feature, De son vivant (In His Lifetime). Unfortunately, Deneuve suffered a minor stroke, which is being produced by Les Films du Kiosque and France 2 Cinema. Scribe Marcia Romano (who also wrote Bercot’s 2015 title Standing Tall – read review) is on hand. Joining Bercot’s team is Dp Yves Cape (Carax’s stunning Holy Motors; Bruno Dumont’s 2006 Flanders and 1999 Humanite), who recently filmed Bercot on the set of Cedric Kahn’s Happy Birthday (2019), which co-starred Deneuve, while Cecile de France and Benoit Magimel are also in the cast.…...
- 1/2/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The international TV event Series Mania unveiled its 2019 winners Saturday during the closing ceremony in France.
Taking place in Lille, this year’s festival ran from March 22-30, and included masterclasses from Uma Thurman, Freddie Highmore, Charlie Brooker and Sharp Objects creator Marti Noxon who will also serve as president of the Official Competition jury.
Also on the jury were The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies, French actress Audrey Fleurot, French writer Delphine de Vigan and Thomas Lilti, creator-director of Canal + hit Hippocrate.
Below is the full list of winners
Official Competition
Grand Prix: The Virtues
Created and written by Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne (UK)
Directed by: Shane Meadows – Production: Warp Films, Big Arty Productions – Broadcast by: Channel 4 (UK)
Special Jury Prize: Just for Today
Created and written by Nir Bergman and Ram Nehari (Israël)
Written and directed: Nir Bergman – Production: Endemol Shine Israël – Broadcast: Yes TV...
Taking place in Lille, this year’s festival ran from March 22-30, and included masterclasses from Uma Thurman, Freddie Highmore, Charlie Brooker and Sharp Objects creator Marti Noxon who will also serve as president of the Official Competition jury.
Also on the jury were The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies, French actress Audrey Fleurot, French writer Delphine de Vigan and Thomas Lilti, creator-director of Canal + hit Hippocrate.
Below is the full list of winners
Official Competition
Grand Prix: The Virtues
Created and written by Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne (UK)
Directed by: Shane Meadows – Production: Warp Films, Big Arty Productions – Broadcast by: Channel 4 (UK)
Special Jury Prize: Just for Today
Created and written by Nir Bergman and Ram Nehari (Israël)
Written and directed: Nir Bergman – Production: Endemol Shine Israël – Broadcast: Yes TV...
- 3/30/2019
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
Emmanuel Bourdieu on who could play Louis-Ferdinand Céline: "One is Denis Podalydès, who is my best friend. And the other was Denis Lavant whom I knew only as a fan." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
At the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Emmanuel Bourdieu, director and co-screenwriter of Louis-Ferdinand Céline (based on the book The Crippled Giant by Martin Hindus and starring Denis Lavant), spoke with me about the casting of the lead role, shooting in Belgium with cinematographer Marie Spencer and screenwriter Marcia Romano and editor Benoît Quinon on board, working with composer Grégoire Hetzel on creating a tune for a William Blake poem to characterize Philip Desmeules' portrayal of Hindus, and how Géraldine Pailhas helped with the costumes for Lucette (designed by Florence Scholtes and Christophe Pidre).
Denis Lavant as Louis-Ferdinand Céline with Bébert: "He could change the mood very very fast. And Denis knows how to do that.
At the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Emmanuel Bourdieu, director and co-screenwriter of Louis-Ferdinand Céline (based on the book The Crippled Giant by Martin Hindus and starring Denis Lavant), spoke with me about the casting of the lead role, shooting in Belgium with cinematographer Marie Spencer and screenwriter Marcia Romano and editor Benoît Quinon on board, working with composer Grégoire Hetzel on creating a tune for a William Blake poem to characterize Philip Desmeules' portrayal of Hindus, and how Géraldine Pailhas helped with the costumes for Lucette (designed by Florence Scholtes and Christophe Pidre).
Denis Lavant as Louis-Ferdinand Céline with Bébert: "He could change the mood very very fast. And Denis knows how to do that.
- 1/5/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Marguerite Cohen Media Group Reviewed by: Harvey Karten for Shockya, d-based on Rotten Tomatoes Grade: A- Director: Xavier Giannoli Written by: Xavier Giannoli, Marcia Romano Cast: Catherine Frot, André Marcon, Michel Fau, Christa Théret, Denis Mpunga, Sylvain Dieuaide, Aubert Fenoy, Sophie Leboutte, Theo Cholbi Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 3/3/16 Opens: March 11, 2016 I’ll bet you like to sing in the shower? Why? Because you sound terrific. You have fallen in love with your own voice. That’s because singers don’t really hear their own voices as others hear them. Nowadays it’s easy to record yourself, and a quick chorus in front of a Sony ICDPX333 voice recorder would quickly [ Read More ]
The post Marguerite Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Marguerite Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/4/2016
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Standing Tall (La Tête haute) Cohen Media Group Reviewed by: Harvey Karten, Shockya Grade: B+ Director: Emmanuelle Bercot Written by: Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano Cast: Rod Paradot, Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier, Raoul Fernandez, Aurore Broutin Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 3/23/16 Opens: April 1, 2016 Does France deal with troubled youths better than we in the States? You’d have to ask someone who’s acquainted with juvenile detention here. But Emmanuell Berot, whose “On My Way” deals with a woman who hits the road with a grandson she hardly knew, gives us a glowing picture of the Gallic way with wayward youths. The adult prison she describes looks as [ Read More ]
The post Standing Tall Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Standing Tall Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/2/2016
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Emmanuelle Bercot's smile Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Emmanuelle Bercot's Cannes Film Festival opener, upright Standing Tall (La Tête Haute) starring Catherine Deneuve, Sara Forestier, with César winning performances by Rod Parodot and Benoît Magimel, co-written by Marcia Romano (Xavier Giannoli's collaborating writer on Marguerite), screened at Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in New York along with Maïwenn's My King (Mon Roi), in which Bercot shines with Vincent Cassel, Two Friends (Deux amis) director Louis Garrel and Isild Le Besco.
Malony with his mother Séverine (Sara Forestier): "He is not protected by the adult in his life…"
Abdellatif Kechiche's L'esquive (Games Of Love And Chance), Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne's fairy tales, Sara Forestier in Katell Quillévéré's Suzanne, using a landscape to breathe, writing the story, the actors helping to create their characters, casting baby faces and being given a second chance entered into our conversation.
Emmanuelle Bercot's Cannes Film Festival opener, upright Standing Tall (La Tête Haute) starring Catherine Deneuve, Sara Forestier, with César winning performances by Rod Parodot and Benoît Magimel, co-written by Marcia Romano (Xavier Giannoli's collaborating writer on Marguerite), screened at Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in New York along with Maïwenn's My King (Mon Roi), in which Bercot shines with Vincent Cassel, Two Friends (Deux amis) director Louis Garrel and Isild Le Besco.
Malony with his mother Séverine (Sara Forestier): "He is not protected by the adult in his life…"
Abdellatif Kechiche's L'esquive (Games Of Love And Chance), Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne's fairy tales, Sara Forestier in Katell Quillévéré's Suzanne, using a landscape to breathe, writing the story, the actors helping to create their characters, casting baby faces and being given a second chance entered into our conversation.
- 3/27/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
French actress Catherine Frot gives a touching, masterful performance as the title character in director Xavier Giannoli’s tragicomic Marguerite. The lavish 1920s costume film centers on a wealthy baroness who loves music and fancies herself an opera singer. The problem is that she cannot sing and seems unable to hear her own off-key screeching. With her great wealth, generous support of causes and social position, no one tells her the truth.
Marguerite is a fictional film but the title character was inspired by real person, Florence Foster Jenkins, an American heiress famous for her awful singing and delusional belief in her talents who gave invitation-only concerts in elaborate costumes, which audiences viewed with a “so bad its good” appreciation. A biopic about Jenkins, starring Meryl Streep and directed by Stephen Frears, is due out later this year.
Giannoli and co-writer Marcia Romano move their story to 1921 France – the Roaring Twenties.
Marguerite is a fictional film but the title character was inspired by real person, Florence Foster Jenkins, an American heiress famous for her awful singing and delusional belief in her talents who gave invitation-only concerts in elaborate costumes, which audiences viewed with a “so bad its good” appreciation. A biopic about Jenkins, starring Meryl Streep and directed by Stephen Frears, is due out later this year.
Giannoli and co-writer Marcia Romano move their story to 1921 France – the Roaring Twenties.
- 3/25/2016
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
La tête haute (Standing Tall)
Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot
Written by Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano
France, 2015
Perhaps it’s an unfortunate coincidence for the festival opener, French social drama La Tête Haute, that it follows but a year after the adulation apparently garnered by Xavier Dolan’s Mommy at last year’s festival – while the flamboyant Quebec drama received 10 minutes’ standing ovation, this year’s press screening of the more down-to-earth underprivileged mother-son duo from Dunkerque was met by a total of two claps and a single boo…
The film stars newcomer Rod Paradot as Malony, a delinquent ‘white-trash’ teenager, Sara Forestier as his rotten-tooth semi-junkie mother, Catherine Deneuve as an infinitely patient, rational but clement children’s judge, and Benoît Magimel as a badly-aging social worker. We first meet Malony as a six-year old in the judge’s office, where his own mother declares him a monster and abandons...
Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot
Written by Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano
France, 2015
Perhaps it’s an unfortunate coincidence for the festival opener, French social drama La Tête Haute, that it follows but a year after the adulation apparently garnered by Xavier Dolan’s Mommy at last year’s festival – while the flamboyant Quebec drama received 10 minutes’ standing ovation, this year’s press screening of the more down-to-earth underprivileged mother-son duo from Dunkerque was met by a total of two claps and a single boo…
The film stars newcomer Rod Paradot as Malony, a delinquent ‘white-trash’ teenager, Sara Forestier as his rotten-tooth semi-junkie mother, Catherine Deneuve as an infinitely patient, rational but clement children’s judge, and Benoît Magimel as a badly-aging social worker. We first meet Malony as a six-year old in the judge’s office, where his own mother declares him a monster and abandons...
- 5/13/2015
- by Zornitsa
- SoundOnSight
Cannes — It doesn't take long to understand the important message Emmanuelle Bercot wants to convey with her new drama "La tête haute" (Standing Tall)." Effectively, she wants you to know that the juvenile court system can be used to positively affect the lives of troubled youth, but if and only if the people involved care enough to stick by their kids. To Bercot's credit, it's a particular point of view that you rarely hear of outside of documentaries and hour-long news programs. Unfortunately, "Standing Tall" takes way too long to reach its happy ending. The opening film of the 68th Festival du Cannes, "Standing Tall" begins with the camera focusing on 6-year-old Malony (Enzo Trouillet). His mother (Sara Forestier) has been brought in front of a local juvenile court judge (Catherine Deneuve) over concerns about the care of her two boys. Bercot keeps the camera mostly on Malony as he...
- 5/13/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
A female director will open the festival for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Standing Tall (La Tête Haute), a film by French director Emmanuelle Bercot, is to open the 68th Cannes Film Festival on May 13.
It marks the first time a film by a female director has opened the festival since Diane Kurys’ A Man in Love in 1987.
Standing Tall stars Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot, who plays the main character, juvenile delinquent Malony, following his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him.
It was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais, Rhône-Alpes and Paris.
Surprising
“The choice of this film may seem surprising, given the rules generally applied to the Festival de Cannes opening ceremony,” said Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival.
This reference to a “surprising” choice likely refers to the recent run of star-powered openers including Woody Allen’s [link...
Standing Tall (La Tête Haute), a film by French director Emmanuelle Bercot, is to open the 68th Cannes Film Festival on May 13.
It marks the first time a film by a female director has opened the festival since Diane Kurys’ A Man in Love in 1987.
Standing Tall stars Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot, who plays the main character, juvenile delinquent Malony, following his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him.
It was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais, Rhône-Alpes and Paris.
Surprising
“The choice of this film may seem surprising, given the rules generally applied to the Festival de Cannes opening ceremony,” said Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival.
This reference to a “surprising” choice likely refers to the recent run of star-powered openers including Woody Allen’s [link...
- 4/13/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
A female director will open the festival for the first time in nearly 30 years.
La Tête Haute (Standing Tall), a film by French director Emmanuelle Bercot, is to open the 68th Cannes Film Festival on May 13.
It marks the first time a film by a female director has opened the festival since Diane Kurys’ A Man in Love in 1987.
La Tête Haute stars Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot, who plays the main character, juvenile delinquent Malony, following his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him.
It was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais, Rhône-Alpes and Paris.
“The choice of this film may seem surprising, given the rules generally applied to the Festival de Cannes opening ceremony,” said Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival.
This reference to a “surprising” choice could refer to the recent run of star-powered openers including Woody Allen’s [link...
La Tête Haute (Standing Tall), a film by French director Emmanuelle Bercot, is to open the 68th Cannes Film Festival on May 13.
It marks the first time a film by a female director has opened the festival since Diane Kurys’ A Man in Love in 1987.
La Tête Haute stars Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot, who plays the main character, juvenile delinquent Malony, following his upbringing from childhood to adulthood, as a children’s judge and social worker try to save him.
It was filmed in the Nord-Pas de Calais, Rhône-Alpes and Paris.
“The choice of this film may seem surprising, given the rules generally applied to the Festival de Cannes opening ceremony,” said Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival.
This reference to a “surprising” choice could refer to the recent run of star-powered openers including Woody Allen’s [link...
- 4/13/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Backstage helmer Emmanuelle Bercot will instead be taking the center stage. Ranked #77 in our top 100 most anticipated foreign films for 2015 and starring red carpet habitual Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel (who resembles a Sean Penn in the official photo above), Sara Forestier and Rod Paradot as our child protag, La Tête Haute has been selected as the opening film of the the 68th Festival de Cannes Film Festival.
This is the French filmmaker’s fourth feature film as a director and second trip two Cannes, having previously been invited with her debut film in the Un Certain Regard section with Clement. The selection is a welcome switch-up from what was often, less than flattering opening international-friendly safe-bet items. I’m thinking of Antoine Doinels of film history canon and Linklater’s Boyhood since it traces a exact child to adulthood route, but compared with previous years, Thierry Frémaux’s selection might...
This is the French filmmaker’s fourth feature film as a director and second trip two Cannes, having previously been invited with her debut film in the Un Certain Regard section with Clement. The selection is a welcome switch-up from what was often, less than flattering opening international-friendly safe-bet items. I’m thinking of Antoine Doinels of film history canon and Linklater’s Boyhood since it traces a exact child to adulthood route, but compared with previous years, Thierry Frémaux’s selection might...
- 4/13/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
La tête haute
Director: Emmanuelle Bercot // Writer: Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano
Though initially an actress that appeared in films from Jean-Francois Richet and Benoit Jacquot (and more recently, two films from Maiwenn, including Polisse, which Bercot co-wrote), Emmanuelle Bercot has fashioned her own career as a director, most recently with the Catherine Deneuve headlined On My Way. Bercot reteams with Deneuve for La tête haute (Head Held High), and adds other exciting names like Benoit Magimel and Sara Forestier to the mix. Co-written by Marcia Romano, who penned delicious titles by Ozon, such as Under the Sand and Criminal Lovers, the film tells the story of Malony and his education as he grows from a six-year-old into an 18-year-old. A minors’ judge and a caseworker work tirelessly to try to save the young offender.
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Benoit Magimel, Sara Forestier
Producers: France 2 Cinema, Wild Bunch, Les Films du Kiosque...
Director: Emmanuelle Bercot // Writer: Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano
Though initially an actress that appeared in films from Jean-Francois Richet and Benoit Jacquot (and more recently, two films from Maiwenn, including Polisse, which Bercot co-wrote), Emmanuelle Bercot has fashioned her own career as a director, most recently with the Catherine Deneuve headlined On My Way. Bercot reteams with Deneuve for La tête haute (Head Held High), and adds other exciting names like Benoit Magimel and Sara Forestier to the mix. Co-written by Marcia Romano, who penned delicious titles by Ozon, such as Under the Sand and Criminal Lovers, the film tells the story of Malony and his education as he grows from a six-year-old into an 18-year-old. A minors’ judge and a caseworker work tirelessly to try to save the young offender.
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Benoit Magimel, Sara Forestier
Producers: France 2 Cinema, Wild Bunch, Les Films du Kiosque...
- 1/6/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
CANNES -- Emmanuel Bourdieu's second feature, which opens Cannes' Critics Week, tells the story of three student friends, intelligent, articulate and passionate about literature, who meet at that crucial point in their lives where their potential has been established but the path to self-realization remains shrouded in uncertainty.
The charismatic Andre (Thibault Vincon) -- brilliant, self-confident and peremptory in his judgments -- rapidly assumes the role of mentor to his comrades, guiding Alexandre (Alexandre Steiger) toward a career in theater and advising Eloi (Malik Zidi) in his work and love life. In return, he demands and obtains unconditional loyalty. He himself appears destined for great things, preparing a doctorate under Sorbonne professor Claude Mortier (Jacques Bonnaffe).
The movie is slow to show its hand, but it gradually becomes clear that Andre, despite or perhaps because of his promise, is going off the rails. He alienates his supervisor, maliciously deletes a story written by his sweet-natured librarian girlfriend Marguerite (Natacha Regnier) from her computer and then announces that he is leaving for America on a prestigious scholarship when in fact he has signed up with the French army for a lowly job as a cultural instructor.
Alexandre, meanwhile, has been finding himself as an actor, and Eloi -- who teams up Marguerite after she has broken with Andre -- writes a novel that becomes a critical success after his novelist mother Florence (Dominique Blanc) presents it to her publisher.
Andre's deceptions are duly revealed, and the final confrontation in a restaurant where the friends gather to celebrate their success sees him cast as the chronic underachiever whose former disciples are now set to scale the heights.
Bourdieu, the son of a noted academic and formerly a writer for directors Arnaud Desplechin and Nicole Garcia, convincingly portrays the tensions of university life, particularly the role-playing and testing of limits among students. However, the movie, absorbing rather than gripping, does not really deliver on the promise of malfeasance contained in the title.
Andre, whose story forms its core, is more the victim than the beneficiary of the sway he exercises over his companions, and the origins of his inability to make anything of his talents are not seriously examined. The stories of Alexandre and Eloi, particularly the latter's relationship with his mother, are thinly developed, and the suddenness of their success is rather baffling, so that the resolution feels imposed rather than a natural consequence of what has come before.
But the actors' performances, particularly those of the relative newcomers in the lead roles, are uniformly excellent, and together with the crisp dialogue by Bourdieu and co-writer Marcia Romano, the warm colors, frequent night settings and Gregoire Hetzel's original score in the style of Schumann and Hoffmann make for an intelligent entertainment.
POISON FRIENDS
4X4 Prods.
Cast: Director: Emmanuel Bourdieu; Screenwriters: Emmanuel Bourdieu, Marcia Romano; Director of photography: Yorick Le Saux; Production designer: Nicolas de Boiscuille; Music: Gregoire Hetzel; Editor: Benoit Quinon.
Cast: Eloi: Malik Zidi; Andre: Thibault Vincon; Alexandre: Alexandre Steiger; Mortier: Jacques Bonnaffe; Marguerite: Natacha Regnier; Florence Duhaut: Dominique Blanc; Edouard: Thomas Blanchard.
No MPAA rating, running time 100 minutes.
The charismatic Andre (Thibault Vincon) -- brilliant, self-confident and peremptory in his judgments -- rapidly assumes the role of mentor to his comrades, guiding Alexandre (Alexandre Steiger) toward a career in theater and advising Eloi (Malik Zidi) in his work and love life. In return, he demands and obtains unconditional loyalty. He himself appears destined for great things, preparing a doctorate under Sorbonne professor Claude Mortier (Jacques Bonnaffe).
The movie is slow to show its hand, but it gradually becomes clear that Andre, despite or perhaps because of his promise, is going off the rails. He alienates his supervisor, maliciously deletes a story written by his sweet-natured librarian girlfriend Marguerite (Natacha Regnier) from her computer and then announces that he is leaving for America on a prestigious scholarship when in fact he has signed up with the French army for a lowly job as a cultural instructor.
Alexandre, meanwhile, has been finding himself as an actor, and Eloi -- who teams up Marguerite after she has broken with Andre -- writes a novel that becomes a critical success after his novelist mother Florence (Dominique Blanc) presents it to her publisher.
Andre's deceptions are duly revealed, and the final confrontation in a restaurant where the friends gather to celebrate their success sees him cast as the chronic underachiever whose former disciples are now set to scale the heights.
Bourdieu, the son of a noted academic and formerly a writer for directors Arnaud Desplechin and Nicole Garcia, convincingly portrays the tensions of university life, particularly the role-playing and testing of limits among students. However, the movie, absorbing rather than gripping, does not really deliver on the promise of malfeasance contained in the title.
Andre, whose story forms its core, is more the victim than the beneficiary of the sway he exercises over his companions, and the origins of his inability to make anything of his talents are not seriously examined. The stories of Alexandre and Eloi, particularly the latter's relationship with his mother, are thinly developed, and the suddenness of their success is rather baffling, so that the resolution feels imposed rather than a natural consequence of what has come before.
But the actors' performances, particularly those of the relative newcomers in the lead roles, are uniformly excellent, and together with the crisp dialogue by Bourdieu and co-writer Marcia Romano, the warm colors, frequent night settings and Gregoire Hetzel's original score in the style of Schumann and Hoffmann make for an intelligent entertainment.
POISON FRIENDS
4X4 Prods.
Cast: Director: Emmanuel Bourdieu; Screenwriters: Emmanuel Bourdieu, Marcia Romano; Director of photography: Yorick Le Saux; Production designer: Nicolas de Boiscuille; Music: Gregoire Hetzel; Editor: Benoit Quinon.
Cast: Eloi: Malik Zidi; Andre: Thibault Vincon; Alexandre: Alexandre Steiger; Mortier: Jacques Bonnaffe; Marguerite: Natacha Regnier; Florence Duhaut: Dominique Blanc; Edouard: Thomas Blanchard.
No MPAA rating, running time 100 minutes.
- 5/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Sous le Sable" ("Under the Sand"), the fourth feature from the rising star of new French writer-directors, Francois Ozon, is as fine an example of French art house moviemaking as you can get. Despite its lack of obvious commercial appeal, the movie has proved a big hit with cinemagoers here. With 369,000 admissions in the first 10 days, it is sitting comfortably as one of the top 10 most popular movies in France at the moment.
The plot centers on Marie (Charlotte Rampling), a professor of English literature in a Paris university, and her husband, Jean (Bruno Cremer). The childless couple, happily married for 25 years, are on summer vacation in southwest France. Jean leaves Marie sunbathing on the beach while he goes to swim in the ocean. When Marie wakes up, Jean has disappeared.
She doesn't know whether he has drowned, committed suicide or simply left her. Marie returns to Paris to pick up her life. But with no body to mourn, she is unable to accept her husband's death and enters an emotional no man's land between hope and despair. In her fragile state of mind, she continues to act as if Jean is still alive.
Compared by some to M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense", Ozon's movie does bear some resemblance. There's the ghostly presence of Jean, who is always in the apartment when Marie returns home. At first, it's not clear whether Jean has indeed returned or whether he is simply being re-created by Marie in her imagination. But there, similarities end.
Shyamalan's movie was a thriller, and although Jean's disappearance is a mystery, it's not one Ozon is interested in solving. The director has even said he wrote the beginning of the movie without knowing how it was going to end.
At several points, however, it does look as if the plot is about to take a conventional turn and Jean's fate will be revealed. But Ozon's not interested in providing the why and the how of Jean's disappearance but in the intimate details of how Marie reacts to the brutal loss not only of a loved one but also of a way of life and a comfortable routine.
Rampling is superb as a woman pushed to the edge of madness by grief. There is hardly a scene in which she does not appear, and the camera hugs close to her face and body, recording every nuance, every shift in emotion. At 56, there are few actresses who would allow the camera to take such liberties. It's almost unbearable to watch her portrayal of a woman clinging desperately to the structure of her former married life -- her job, dinner parties with friends -- while hysteria is simmering beneath the surface.
SOUS LE SABLE
Arte France Cinema, Euro Space, Fidelite Prods., Haut et Court
Producers: Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier
Director: Francois Ozon
Screenwriters: Francois Ozon, Emmanuelle Bernheim, Marcia Romano, Marina de Van
Director of photography: Antoine Heberle, Jeanne Lapoirie
Production designer: Sandrine Carnaux
Music: Philippe Rombi
Costume designer: Pascaline Chavanne
Editor: Laurence Bawedin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Marie Drillon: Charlotte Rampling
Jean Drillon: Bruno Cremer
Vincent: Jacques Nolot
Amanda: Alexandra Stewart
Gerard: Pierre Vernier
Suzanne: Andree Tainsy2001-03-07
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The plot centers on Marie (Charlotte Rampling), a professor of English literature in a Paris university, and her husband, Jean (Bruno Cremer). The childless couple, happily married for 25 years, are on summer vacation in southwest France. Jean leaves Marie sunbathing on the beach while he goes to swim in the ocean. When Marie wakes up, Jean has disappeared.
She doesn't know whether he has drowned, committed suicide or simply left her. Marie returns to Paris to pick up her life. But with no body to mourn, she is unable to accept her husband's death and enters an emotional no man's land between hope and despair. In her fragile state of mind, she continues to act as if Jean is still alive.
Compared by some to M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense", Ozon's movie does bear some resemblance. There's the ghostly presence of Jean, who is always in the apartment when Marie returns home. At first, it's not clear whether Jean has indeed returned or whether he is simply being re-created by Marie in her imagination. But there, similarities end.
Shyamalan's movie was a thriller, and although Jean's disappearance is a mystery, it's not one Ozon is interested in solving. The director has even said he wrote the beginning of the movie without knowing how it was going to end.
At several points, however, it does look as if the plot is about to take a conventional turn and Jean's fate will be revealed. But Ozon's not interested in providing the why and the how of Jean's disappearance but in the intimate details of how Marie reacts to the brutal loss not only of a loved one but also of a way of life and a comfortable routine.
Rampling is superb as a woman pushed to the edge of madness by grief. There is hardly a scene in which she does not appear, and the camera hugs close to her face and body, recording every nuance, every shift in emotion. At 56, there are few actresses who would allow the camera to take such liberties. It's almost unbearable to watch her portrayal of a woman clinging desperately to the structure of her former married life -- her job, dinner parties with friends -- while hysteria is simmering beneath the surface.
SOUS LE SABLE
Arte France Cinema, Euro Space, Fidelite Prods., Haut et Court
Producers: Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier
Director: Francois Ozon
Screenwriters: Francois Ozon, Emmanuelle Bernheim, Marcia Romano, Marina de Van
Director of photography: Antoine Heberle, Jeanne Lapoirie
Production designer: Sandrine Carnaux
Music: Philippe Rombi
Costume designer: Pascaline Chavanne
Editor: Laurence Bawedin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Marie Drillon: Charlotte Rampling
Jean Drillon: Bruno Cremer
Vincent: Jacques Nolot
Amanda: Alexandra Stewart
Gerard: Pierre Vernier
Suzanne: Andree Tainsy2001-03-07
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
"Sous le Sable" ("Under the Sand"), the fourth feature from the rising star of new French writer-directors, Francois Ozon, is as fine an example of French art house moviemaking as you can get. Despite its lack of obvious commercial appeal, the movie has proved a big hit with cinemagoers here. With 369,000 admissions in the first 10 days, it is sitting comfortably as one of the top 10 most popular movies in France at the moment.
The plot centers on Marie (Charlotte Rampling), a professor of English literature in a Paris university, and her husband, Jean (Bruno Cremer). The childless couple, happily married for 25 years, are on summer vacation in southwest France. Jean leaves Marie sunbathing on the beach while he goes to swim in the ocean. When Marie wakes up, Jean has disappeared.
She doesn't know whether he has drowned, committed suicide or simply left her. Marie returns to Paris to pick up her life. But with no body to mourn, she is unable to accept her husband's death and enters an emotional no man's land between hope and despair. In her fragile state of mind, she continues to act as if Jean is still alive.
Compared by some to M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense", Ozon's movie does bear some resemblance. There's the ghostly presence of Jean, who is always in the apartment when Marie returns home. At first, it's not clear whether Jean has indeed returned or whether he is simply being re-created by Marie in her imagination. But there, similarities end.
Shyamalan's movie was a thriller, and although Jean's disappearance is a mystery, it's not one Ozon is interested in solving. The director has even said he wrote the beginning of the movie without knowing how it was going to end.
At several points, however, it does look as if the plot is about to take a conventional turn and Jean's fate will be revealed. But Ozon's not interested in providing the why and the how of Jean's disappearance but in the intimate details of how Marie reacts to the brutal loss not only of a loved one but also of a way of life and a comfortable routine.
Rampling is superb as a woman pushed to the edge of madness by grief. There is hardly a scene in which she does not appear, and the camera hugs close to her face and body, recording every nuance, every shift in emotion. At 56, there are few actresses who would allow the camera to take such liberties. It's almost unbearable to watch her portrayal of a woman clinging desperately to the structure of her former married life -- her job, dinner parties with friends -- while hysteria is simmering beneath the surface.
SOUS LE SABLE
Arte France Cinema, Euro Space, Fidelite Prods., Haut et Court
Producers: Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier
Director: Francois Ozon
Screenwriters: Francois Ozon, Emmanuelle Bernheim, Marcia Romano, Marina de Van
Director of photography: Antoine Heberle, Jeanne Lapoirie
Production designer: Sandrine Carnaux
Music: Philippe Rombi
Costume designer: Pascaline Chavanne
Editor: Laurence Bawedin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Marie Drillon: Charlotte Rampling
Jean Drillon: Bruno Cremer
Vincent: Jacques Nolot
Amanda: Alexandra Stewart
Gerard: Pierre Vernier
Suzanne: Andree Tainsy2001-03-07
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The plot centers on Marie (Charlotte Rampling), a professor of English literature in a Paris university, and her husband, Jean (Bruno Cremer). The childless couple, happily married for 25 years, are on summer vacation in southwest France. Jean leaves Marie sunbathing on the beach while he goes to swim in the ocean. When Marie wakes up, Jean has disappeared.
She doesn't know whether he has drowned, committed suicide or simply left her. Marie returns to Paris to pick up her life. But with no body to mourn, she is unable to accept her husband's death and enters an emotional no man's land between hope and despair. In her fragile state of mind, she continues to act as if Jean is still alive.
Compared by some to M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense", Ozon's movie does bear some resemblance. There's the ghostly presence of Jean, who is always in the apartment when Marie returns home. At first, it's not clear whether Jean has indeed returned or whether he is simply being re-created by Marie in her imagination. But there, similarities end.
Shyamalan's movie was a thriller, and although Jean's disappearance is a mystery, it's not one Ozon is interested in solving. The director has even said he wrote the beginning of the movie without knowing how it was going to end.
At several points, however, it does look as if the plot is about to take a conventional turn and Jean's fate will be revealed. But Ozon's not interested in providing the why and the how of Jean's disappearance but in the intimate details of how Marie reacts to the brutal loss not only of a loved one but also of a way of life and a comfortable routine.
Rampling is superb as a woman pushed to the edge of madness by grief. There is hardly a scene in which she does not appear, and the camera hugs close to her face and body, recording every nuance, every shift in emotion. At 56, there are few actresses who would allow the camera to take such liberties. It's almost unbearable to watch her portrayal of a woman clinging desperately to the structure of her former married life -- her job, dinner parties with friends -- while hysteria is simmering beneath the surface.
SOUS LE SABLE
Arte France Cinema, Euro Space, Fidelite Prods., Haut et Court
Producers: Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier
Director: Francois Ozon
Screenwriters: Francois Ozon, Emmanuelle Bernheim, Marcia Romano, Marina de Van
Director of photography: Antoine Heberle, Jeanne Lapoirie
Production designer: Sandrine Carnaux
Music: Philippe Rombi
Costume designer: Pascaline Chavanne
Editor: Laurence Bawedin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Marie Drillon: Charlotte Rampling
Jean Drillon: Bruno Cremer
Vincent: Jacques Nolot
Amanda: Alexandra Stewart
Gerard: Pierre Vernier
Suzanne: Andree Tainsy2001-03-07
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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