La Reine Margot

Patrice Chereau is a man of many talents including directing French theatre and opera, producer, filmmaker (Gabrielle 2005, Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train 1998) and actor, appearing in Michael Haneke’s post-apocalyptic drama Time of the Wolf (2003).

Margot and Husband

The Chereau directed French period drama La Reine Margot (1994) is based on the 1845 historical novel written by Alexandra Dumas, which in turn was based on real life events and characters including the notorious St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572 in which French Catholics massacred between 5000 and 30000 Huguenot Protestants including a good many of their leaders who were in Paris for the wedding of the Catholic Kings sister Margaret to the Protestant Henry 3 of Navarre. France at that time was torn apart by bitter religious wars and Margot is forced to marry in an effort to reconcile her native France. It was only six days after the wedding that the massacre took place instigated by her mother the ruthless and scheming Catherine de’ Medici. But further problems arise when Margot realises she has no feelings for her new husband and falls for a well to do Protestant soldier La Mole.

Margot and Lover

This exceptional film stars the sensual Isabelle Adjani (Possession 1981) as Margaret of Valois, Daniel Auteuil (Hidden 2005, MR73 2008, 36 Quides des Orfevres 2004) as Henry 3 of Navarre and Virna Lisi won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her role as Catherine de Medic. Look carefully and you will spot the 19 year-old Asia Argento (The Last Mistress 2007, Transylvania 2006, Marie Antoinette 2006 and the brilliant The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things 2004) as Charlotte de Sauve mistress of Henry and court spy for Margot’s mother.

This has got to be one of the best period dramas I’ve had the pleasure to see, its gritty, bloodthirsty and full of strong well-acted characters, completely believable, you can almost smell the grime. I believe it was shown on the telly a short while ago, if it comes around again don’t miss it.

The Princess of Montpensier

Bertrand Tavernier based his latest film on a short story by a Madame de La Fayette which was published anonymously in 1662 and tells of a heroine who falls in love with someone other than the man she’s married to, nothing new there then. The Princess of Montpensier (2010) is set at a time when France was torn apart by bitter religious wars and like Patrice Chereau’s 1994 French period drama La Reine Margot includes the notorious St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572 in which French Catholics massacred between 5000 and 30000 Huguenot Protestants.

Marie de Mezieres (Melanie Thierry) is a beautiful young heiress who has been instructed by her father that she is to be betrothed to the Prince of Montpensier as part of an alliance between the two families. It is true to say that she does develop affection for her new husband but clearly she remains attracted to her childhood sweetheart, the dashing young Henri de Guise. While the Prince is away doing battle he leaves Marie at the remote family castle under the tutorage of his old mentor Francois de Chavannes (Lambert Wilson) who also declares his love for the Princess, get in the queue son, cause the Duke of Anjou fancies his chances as well!! This is what happens when you’ve got no telly. Needless to say she finally settles on the ‘bad lad’ and therefore loses everything ending up in a convent: that will teach the foolish minx!!!!

The Princess of Montpensier  

As is typical with most French historical period dramas you get lots of swashbuckling, bloodshed and sexual shenanigans in draughty corridors and massive king size beds. You’d think that with no obvious heating and therefore lots of layers of clothing you would loose interest very quickly, but no they carry on like rabbits. Most women would give their right arm for Marie’s wardrobe, brilliant cinematography, great acting from its young cast and it was good to see Lambert Wilson let him self go a little after the seriousness of Of Gods and Men (2010). At two hours twenty minutes it’s a long film but soon goes when all that excitement and passion engulfs you.

A Royal Affair

Queen Caroline Mathilda with the Royal Physician.

Based on actual events and characters A Royal Affair (2012) is a complicated love triangle set in the 18^th century Danish court between the rather immature Danish King Christian VII  (Mikkel Boe Folsgaard in his debut feature film), the German idealistic royal Physician Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen probably best known to British audiences as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale (2006)) and the young strong willed Queen Caroline Mathilda a member of the British Royal Family who came to Denmark to marry the King (Swedish actress Alicia Vikander who we have seen recently in Anna Karenina (2012)). This passionate and forbidden romance became one of the most dramatic events in not only Danish but also European history.  

A Royal love triangle. 

Our story is narrated using the Queens letters and diaries and demonstrate how vibrant and intelligent she was and certainly someone who despite her breeding had a social conscience willing to risk all to change the system to improve the lives of the ordinary Danish people. With Christian accepting Struensee radical policies the three of them were able reform antiquated laws and for a period make Denmark one of the most socially aware counties in Europe.

The King with his adviser. 

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel, who helped write the screenplay for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) it’s not just a sumptuously rich picture book of 18^th century court life with its attendant costumes and scenery but has a tremendously strong story that intrigues and draws you in. The acting has a great deal of credibility allowing the movie persuasive reality that’s not always obvious in some period dramas.  Mikkel Folsgard won the Silver Bear for Best Actor and Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg won the award for Best Script at this years Berlin Film Festival. If you enjoyed Patrice Chereau’s La Reine Margot (1994) then I’m convinced your going to really appreciate A Royal Affair. 

The Queen.

Eva.

No one could smoke a cigarette like Jeanne Moreau!

During his self imposed professional exile in Britain Joseph Losey made some truly great films and was one of the few ‘foreign’ directors to receive serious critical attention. One of the not so quite so well known films made during the 1960’s, his most fruitful period, was the European art film Eva (1962)[1] which consisted of a very cosmopolitan cast and crew. It was made in Italy, based on a novel of the same name by English writer James Hadley Chase, directed by an American with French producers and starred French, British and Italian actors. 

A Welsh novelist Tyvian Jones, played by a very intense Stanley Baker, has a best selling novel which has been adapted into a well received movie, a house in Venice and a flat in Rome and a beautiful Italian fiancée Francesca Ferrara, the award winning actress Virna Lisa best known for her award winning part in La Reine Margot (1994). But all is not well, his film director is also in love with Francesca and is having the Welshman investigated hoping to find something that will discredit him in the eyes of wife-to-be. In the mean time Tyvian is tasked with writing another story hopefully to be adapted into a further hit movie. To this end he goes to his secluded house on an island near Venice. Arriving there late at night he finds that two people have broken in and have made themselves at home. The man is ejected but when he finds the second person, a woman, naked in his bath he allows her to stay. Attempting to seduce her she knocks him out with an ashtray and it’s this bump on the head that begins his dangerous fixation with Eva Oliver.

Moreau with Stanley Baker.

French actress Jeanne Moreau (Lift to the Scaffold (1958) Querelle (1982)) plays the femme fatale Eva an emotionless seductress ‘who never gives herself, only sells herself,’[2] simply interested in what she can get out of the men she seduces, a sort of high class call girl without the obligatory pimp.  The affair between the novelist and the money grabbing Eva starts as an infatuation but turns into an obsession which completely turns Tyvian’s world upside down humiliating him in front of friends and colleagues and leading to a terrible tragedy. 

Made in black and white on location in Italy in the winter months with no visible sign of tourists anywhere. It’s typical 1960’s art house film noir with long flowing camera shots from cinematographer Gianni Di Venanzo and its requisite monochrome atmospherics with unlikable characters that barely break a smile. Baker gives his normal fraught performance, but to be fair no one can smoke a cigarette or say a line like ‘bloody Welshman’ quite like Ms Moreau and it’s soundtrack does include Billie Holiday!   

The beautiful Virna Lisi.

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[1] Originally, this subject was offered by the Hakim brothers, who produced it, to Jean-Luc Godard to direct. Godard was anxious to sign Richard Burton for the leading role, but failed and then dropped out of the project. The Hakims instead obtained the services of another Welsh actor, Stanley Baker, who insisted on them hiring his friend Joseph Losey to direct. (IMDb Trivia)

[2] Quote from the Film’s Trailer. 

Mammuth

Retirement is a 2000 piece Jigsaw puzzel?

Described as a quirky road movie this rather odd French film, Mammuth 2010 stars a hugely rotund Gerard Depardieu, a man you want to avoid on a plane journey, as Serge Pilardosee. Just turned 60 he is retired from his job in a meat packing plant but the poor man can’t draw his state pension because previous employers, and there was a lot of them, have not submitted records of his employment or earnings. Taking his old trusty Mammuth motorbike out of its enforced retirement he sets off on a journey to track down his ex-employers and elicit the required paperwork that will release his pension.

Perhaps its escaping on your trusty motorbike?

This curious movie is directed by the partnership of Gustave de Kervern and Beniot Delephine and features, as well as Depardieu who is superb, the Belgian actress Yolande Moreau, whose best work includes Seraphine (2009) Amelie (2001) and the ingenious Micmacs (2009), as the retirees long suffering wife, and Isabelle Adjani (Possession 1991, La Reine Margot 1994) as the ghost/spirit of Serge’s long dead girlfriend killed in a motorbike accident.  Funny and strangely bizarre with some very weird moments including one which involves our traveller with another pensioner engaging in a session of man to man mutual masturbation!! Can’t wait for the US remake?

or maybe its a time to reassess your past?