Marie and Jean are a married couple, set in the rhythms of a life spent together. As they begin their regular holiday at their country house, nothing seems amiss. But one day at the beach, while Marie naps in the sand, Jean goes for a swim and vanishes without a trace. Frantic, Marie combs the beach, then calls the lifeguards .. Read more
| Starring | Charlotte Rampling, Jacques Nolot, Bruno Cremer, Alexandra Stewart |
|---|---|
| Director | Francois Ozon |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
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Marie and Jean are a married couple, set in the rhythms of a life spent together. As they begin their regular holiday at their country house, nothing seems amiss. But one day at the beach, while Marie naps in the sand, Jean goes for a swim and vanishes without a trace. Frantic, Marie combs the beach, then calls the lifeguards and local police, who are all unable to locate him. Left with unanswered questions, Marie returns to Paris alone. She attends to her familiar schedule of teaching classes, going to the gym and meeting with friends, but she is consumed by memories of her beloved Jean- unable to imagine a life without him. Tenaciously, Marie keeps the memory of her husband alive, often speaking of him as if he never disappeared. She strikes up a tentative relationship with Vincent, but is unable to make a real commitment. Ultimately she must grapple with her life alone while coping with her erotic stirrings and fantasy life.
| Starring | Charlotte Rampling, Jacques Nolot, Bruno Cremer, Alexandra Stewart, Pierre Vernier, Andree Tainsey |
|---|---|
| Director | Francois Ozon |
| Studio | ARTIFICIAL EYE |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 34 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | French |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 24 Sep 2001 Production year: 2000 |
| Format | DVD |
Thirty-six years after her screen debut, Charlotte Rampling turns in the finest performance of her career in this sensitively relentless study of melancholic delusion. Convinced she still sees him every day, a sophisticated Parisian teacher (Rampling) simply refuses to accept that her husband (Bruno Cremer) drowned on their seaside holiday and treats her liaison with Jacques Nolot as a deliciously reckless adultery rather than an agonising attempt to relaunch her shattered life. Reducing dialogue to essentials and making exemplary use of cool, reflective surfaces, François Ozon confirms his reputation among French cinema's likeliest contenders, as he finds poetry and optimism in the depths of grief.
"...A delicate and devastating film....[It] features one of the best performances of the year....It's a role of fierce demands, and Rampling meets them all..."
On the first morning of their annual summer vacation, Marie and Jean go to the beach. Married 25 years, they appear relaxed with each other. Marie dozes on the sand whilst Jean sets off for a swim. He never returns.
Rampling gives possibly her finest performance as a woman confronted with immeasurable change in her life. Ozon refuses to offer neat solutions, instead leading the viewer through Marie's actions and reactions as time passes. Is Marie in complete denial or completely in control?
Highly recommended.
A thinking man/woman's film. Ozon has steered that difficult line down the middle (like One Hour Photo) where he gives suggestions, plenty of them, as to what is happening, but does not force any particular answer. You can judge for yourself whether Marie is distraught over the death of her husband so much that she can't come to terms with it and accept he has gone, or whether he has abandoned her or whether he has some other fate (think of the title). This is in the same league as such films as L'Enfer where one has to realise that we are seeing the film through someone elses eyes and this view may be subjective rather than objective. The acting and photography are superb and make this film enjoyable even if you just take it at a straight plot, superficial level. If you love French cinema, and like a film that you can discuss for days after watching it then this is a must see. I am off to see what else this director has done.