I won't lie to you, I am a bit predictable in my love for all things French. I'm a complete sucker for a French movie and if said French movie has the brilliant Gérard Depardieu in it then, well, I know I'm gonna be alright for ninety minutes or so.
My Afternoons with Margueritte (2010) is a sweet little story about a great lump of a guy and a dainty old lady who meet on a park bench in a small French town and strike up a lovely friendship based on her passion for literature and his love of, er, listening.
This film is incredibly twee and a bit sad like a lovely gallic, bittersweet hug. 'Oh mon dieu you are lovely ma cherie but you see I must leave you now for ma femme has le dinner sur le table'...something like that.
The story is a good one though, based on the book La Tête en Friche (also the French title for this movie and translating to something like idle-headed!) by Marie-Sabine Roger. The theme is breaking apart traditional definitions of love and it ends with a beautiful soliloquy by Depardieu that begins "It's not a typical love affair, but love and tenderness, both are there", sounds more like the beginning of a Greek tragedy doesn't it? I would like to read the book now but I do think the French title is a bit harsh. Depardieu's character, Germain, is a bit thick but not in a horrible way and he has a heart of gold and for that matter a really foxy girlfriend which confused me for fully five minutes! Huscat would hate it, so glad I watched it toute seule. I had a little weep at the end, no spoilers, not going to tell you nothing, its just nice. Watch it for a cockle warming.
My Afternoons with Margueritte (2010) is a sweet little story about a great lump of a guy and a dainty old lady who meet on a park bench in a small French town and strike up a lovely friendship based on her passion for literature and his love of, er, listening.
This film is incredibly twee and a bit sad like a lovely gallic, bittersweet hug. 'Oh mon dieu you are lovely ma cherie but you see I must leave you now for ma femme has le dinner sur le table'...something like that.
The story is a good one though, based on the book La Tête en Friche (also the French title for this movie and translating to something like idle-headed!) by Marie-Sabine Roger. The theme is breaking apart traditional definitions of love and it ends with a beautiful soliloquy by Depardieu that begins "It's not a typical love affair, but love and tenderness, both are there", sounds more like the beginning of a Greek tragedy doesn't it? I would like to read the book now but I do think the French title is a bit harsh. Depardieu's character, Germain, is a bit thick but not in a horrible way and he has a heart of gold and for that matter a really foxy girlfriend which confused me for fully five minutes! Huscat would hate it, so glad I watched it toute seule. I had a little weep at the end, no spoilers, not going to tell you nothing, its just nice. Watch it for a cockle warming.