La veuve de Saint Pierre (The Widow of Saint Pierre).

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is situated in the North Western Atlantic Ocean near Canada and is the only remnant of the former colonial empire of New France that remains under French control. At the time of the last census, January 2011, it had a population of 6080. The islands are situated at the entrance of Fortune Bay on the southern coast of Newfoundland.

 

The location of the Island.

Saint Pierre.

If you were to visit the museum on Saint-Pierre you would find that it contained a guillotine. The only time that this decapitation device has ever been used in North America was in the late 19th century when it was used to behead Joseph Neel who was convicted of killing a Mr Coupard on the 30th December 1888. The guillotine had to be shipped from Martinique and did not arrive in working order. It seemed almost impossible to get anyone on the Island to carry out this barbaric act until finally a recent immigrant was 'coaxed' into carrying out the task. Neel was subsequently executed on the 24th August 1889. 

 

The Slavic actor Emir Krusturica.

It was this event that was the inspiration for the French movie La veuve de Saint-Pierre (2000) or to give it it's English title The Widow of Saint-Pierre. Taken from the court records of the time the film tells how after stabbing their old sea captain to death two men were convicted of his murder and sentenced to death by guillotine. One of the men Louis Ollivier is killed in a freak accident whilst being taken to await his execution while the other Neel Auguste is placed under the supervision of an army Captain to await the arrival of the guillotine. While he is in his custody he is allowed a certain amount of freedom and the Captains beautiful wife Madame La takes an interest in his rehabilitation eventually giving him back his self-respect by allowing him to carry out various tasks for the local community, who in turn see a changed man. A year after he was sentenced the ship carrying the instrument of his death finally arrives in port but the Captain, his wife and the local inhabitants do not want to see Auguste executed.

 

The Captain and his wife Madame La.

Superbly directed and co-written by Patrice Leconte, who has been responsible for such films as The Hairdressers Husband (1990) The Girl on the Bridge (1999) and L’homme du train (2002). This is a story of the redemption of a brutal killer and how a woman can love two men at the same time, one physically and the other puritanically. This wonderfully paced and detailed period drama stars Juliette Binoche as the redeeming Madame La with the Serbian born actor Emir Kusturica as Neel Auguste, both of whom were deservedly nominated for acting awards. Although Daniel Auteuil, who plays the Captain, spends a lot of time prancing about on a horse he still plays his part in making this movie an exceptionally good watch. It was filmed on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia a rather splendid location emphasised by cinematographer Eduardo Serra. Highly recommended if you enjoy a good French period drama.

The Girl on the Bridge

Adele (Vanessa Paradis) is 22 years old with a history of picking the wrong man; she contemplates suicide by jumping off the ledge of a bridge. Along comes Gabor (Daniel Auteuil) a professional knife thrower whose searching for a new target, offers the job to Adele who turns him down and jumps. Jumping in after her the pair are soon off on their travels. They discover that their luck has changed when his “blind” knife-throwing act avoids killing his partner and her luck at the roulette table wins a small fortune. When will this good luck end you may ask?

Adele's luck at the table's continues.

The director of The Hairdressers Husband (1990), Patrice Leconte, repeats his success with The Girl on the Bridge (1999). A black and white film admittedly more about images than plot but when that image is Vanessa Paradis it’s never a problem. A delicate French love story, original and fresh.

The Hairdresser’s Husband

Like Jean Rochefort’s character Antoine in The Hairdresser’s Husband (1990) I to fell in love with a hairdresser, but unlike Antoine it was not with the profession but with the person. Although the smell of a barbers back in the day of ‘anything for the weekend sir’ did have a particular allure! Directed and written by Patrice Leconte (responsible for directing L’homme du Train 2002 which also starred Jean Rochefort) the film stars the beautiful Italian actress Anna Galiena as the hairdresser of the title.

When Antoine was a wee boy he was obsessed with the voluptuous beautician who regularly cut his hair. He decides his life’s ambition is to marry a hairdresser. Middle-aged Antoine meets Mathilde (Galiena), a young women with her own hairdressing establishment. Marrying her he can now spend all his waking hours sitting in her shop watching her every movement. The shop, his fantasies, his gorgeous wife and the eastern music he dances to on occasions become his entire world, who can blame him? Obviously this funny and erotic movie is not to be taken to seriously, one to sit back and enjoy and one that gives Rochefort another opportunity to stretch his acting talents.