LES SENTIMENTS
France, 2003, 94 minutes, Colour.
Natalie Baye, Jean- Pierre Bacri, Isabelle Carre, Melvil Poupeaud.
Directed by Noemi Lvovsky.
Les Sentiments (Feelings) is yet another film about the French middle class, anxiety about relationships, mid-life crisis, understanding of commitment. The song sung during the final credits is "She's Too Good To Be True", which seems to relate to the opening of the film with the character of Edith and her impending marriage to Francois. They marry, move into a house which gives them a base for Francois' work as a doctor. They live next to the previous doctor, Jean- Pierre Bacri, and his wife, Natalie Baye. At first everything seems wonderful. There are far too many smiles.
At one stage, the older man makes an approach to the younger woman and she succumbs. How psychologically credible this is is open to discussion. In his retirement, he has been continually making parallels and comparisons with the younger man, physically and psychologically. Now he has seduced his wife. Needless to say, when the reality is discovered, there is disaster all round.
1. French cinema and its focus on the middle class, crises, emotional, psychological? Sexual relationships?
2. This film in this tradition? The focus on the two couples? Realism? Fantasy? The significance of the choir, the credits, their assembling, the range of songs? The lyrics and their comment on the behaviour of each of the characters? How well did this artifice work along with the realism?
3. The French setting, the town, the two homes? The hospital, patients? The realism of the ordinary work of the two men? The home life of the two women, shopping, the restaurants?
4. The older couple and their long relationship, their two children and the relationship with the children - and the sometimes offhand manner of the children? Yet the comic performance for their father's birthday? Carol and her cheerfulness, driving home, watching the couple move in, taking the furniture out of the rain? Her love for her husband? Housekeeping, cooking? Having Edith over, their discussions, drinking? The background of her drinking? Pierre and his giving up his practice, his patients, his relationship with his wife, children - genial but suddenly abrupt about untidiness? His welcoming the new couple? His taking Francois on the rounds, explaining the patients? His praise for him? His memories of himself at that age? The growing comparisons with Francois, the bike-riding, his physique, his age and appearance and his putting himself down? The potential for a break?
5. Francois and Edith, with the priest and discussing ceremonies, marriage? Their love for each other? Their age and enthusiasm? Moving in, Francois putting Edith outside the door with no clothes, the playfulness, the older couple watching out the window? Settling in? Francois and his seriousness, taking notes from the older doctor, seeing the patients, consulting the books? The contrast with Edith and her perpetual cheerfulness? Everything happy? Going to see Carol, their talking, becoming friends? The two couples and their having meals together, visiting the home, picnics, playing with the ball, at the beach, the rain, disentangling the duck caught by the fisherman's hook?
6. The credibility of Edith succumbing to Pierre's seduction? The affair, their meetings, her becoming besotted with him? His motivation, age, irritation with Carol? The liaison and the rendezvous?
7. The party, getting the wine, Carol drinking? Her discovering the two kissing? The consequences, Pierre and his anger, Carol and her drinking, the fight, her hitting her head on the glass, going to hospital? Francois and his immediately packing and leaving? Edith and her grief, her apologies?
8. The decision to move, Francois coming back, taking Edith away? Carol returning home and being with her children in the garden? Pierre and his being lost, having destroyed the peace of the two couples - and a future of isolation?
9. The insights into men and women, age, attraction, sexuality? Betrayal? Ignoring the consequences - and the consequences catching up disastrously?
10. The final song: "You're Too Good To Be True" - and this impression that Edith gave right from the beginning - and it was a recipe for disaster?
