Thursday, March 14, 2013
THE RICH HAVE PROBLEMS TOO
But when your characters have a lot of money you can make a sumptuous, beautiful epic and very long film about the family and its ups and downs.
Today's film was Olivier Assayas'
and I just watched the first half of its three hour life.
A large family, now in the third generation, is having some problems of its scions doing what they want to do versus corporate loyalty.
The company is a large porcelain production outfit, mining to retail, and has been overseen by its founder, the grand-père, who is dying in the beginning and dead midway through.
A crisis for the sons and daughters who have both married outside the family and have pursued other careers. Except for the youngest son who wanted to be a pastor and, through some bad choices, has to divorce his wife who has or has not been unfaithful.
The cast is first class. One of the women, the second wife of the pastor is Emmanuell Béart who we saw the other day in the artist film. She was the model and mostly naked throughout. Here, she is still a bit unconventional but in a Victorian way. Buttoned up but very hot.
The wayward pastor is Charles Berling whose emancipation from the desire to be a parson leads him to a new life with Béart. The discarded wife is a haughty and severely fucked up Isabelle Huppert who has often been the "other woman" but, here, goes against type. There is an uncle who sort of presides over the situation, Mathieu Genet. I have seen this actor play everything up and down the scale. Here he is definitely "up".
These are all favorite stars. A feast to see them together.
The story spans thirty years so I am only half way through and at a point where the pastor, living on his earnings as an heir, decides to return to Limoges from his idyll with Béart in Switzerland.
Here is what I like about this film so far. It is very expensively done and so the detail is incredible to watch. There is a party in which all (except the dour Huppert) waltz faster and faster and then let go in a huge dance sequence which involves the entire mansion, a can-can line indoors and out. There are horses and carriages and hunky young factory workers and more goo gaws (it is the Victorian period after all) than are possible to look at.
One senses that all involved had a gloriously happy time doing this film.
I have been more than pleased to participate as a fly on the wall.
What will happen next?
Au revoir jusqu'à demain.
Labels: films
