Displaying items by tag: Berenice Bejo

A FRIENDLY TALE/ LE BONHEUR DES UNS…

France, 2020, 104 minutes, Colour.

Berenice Bejo, Vincent Cassel, François Damiens, Florence Foresti.

Directed by Daniel Cohen.

A French satiric film. The English title sounds rather genial. The French title implies rivalry, the happiness of one at the expense of another…

This is a film about four friends. However, the focus is on Lea, played by the always sympathetic Berenice Bejo (A Separation, The Movie Teller). She seems a simple, nice kind of person, happily working in the department store, advising customers about dresses, possibly in line for promotion. However, she is observant, takes notes, creates stories in her mind, eventually writing them down – to great success, her becoming a celebrated author and prolifically producing books. And she remains nice throughout.

But, her best friend, played by Florence Foresti, becomes more and more jealous, badmouthing her friend, she herself trying to write but unable, trying different areas to achieve, finally deciding on marathon running. On the other hand, her husband, played by François Damiens, is much more friendly, his wife encouraging him to explore all kinds of possibilities from art, to music, but he is not being particularly successful.

The other difficult character is Lea’s husband, played by Vincent Cassel in a role rather more different from those he usually plays. He is a believer in the man as the head of the household, works in Vietnam aluminium company and is ambitious, being passed over. However, he gradually comes over to his wife’s point of view, a bit uncomfortable with her growing wealth, comfortable apartment (which her best friend is very jealous of).

The tone is set for the film in a long opening sequence where the four are at a restaurant and a lot of time is spent on Lea having a desert, the other is declining, changing their minds, different possibilities, an exasperated waiter. And, to bring this satiric perspective to an end, a repeat of the restaurant situation and choices.

1. The French title, happiness at the expense of others…? The English title and the emphasis on friendship, ironies?
2. The French setting, the city, couples and homes, meeting places, restaurants? The publishing world, book signings and tours? The aluminium firm? Work, offices and training, exhibitions? The musical score?
3. The focus on the four characters and their interactions? Friends, tensions, rivalries, insecurities, success?
4. The introduction to the characters, Lea and Marc, we’re working in the shop and happy, Marc and his ambitions, single-minded, the aluminium company? Comparisons with Francis and Karine? Their marriage, her hopes, his hobbies?
5. The opening and closing with scenes in the restaurant, the nature of the friendships, longtime friendships, interactions, humour? The long process of whether to have desert or not, the various combinations strung out, Lea and her reactions? And the waiter and his waiting?
6. Lea’s story, her working at the store, the boss and the possibility of promotion, her meeting customers, the woman asking advice about the dress, her giving advice, putting hold, to return the next week, reaction of the boss and loss of custom, the woman returning and buying more clothes? Is recommending her to manage a store? Her lunch, observing people, imagining their stories? Karine joining her, the character of the lady in blue? Lea, her writing, diffident, sending the manuscript, the positive reactions? Audiences losing his sense of real-time, the publication, success, though the books, publications, the reviews, the signings? The effect on her?
7. Marc’s story, the marriage, the dominant male, his expectations, the subservient wife, at work, his ambitions, passed over, his enthusiasm for his work and for aluminium, the secretary? The restaurant, controlling Lea? The reaction to her success? Observing, the discussions with the friends, the separation, his motivations? The book signing, his love for Lea, reconciling? The new house and its comfort? His discovering his love for Lea?
8. Karine’s story, longtime friendship, comfortable life, relationship with Francis, the meals, her envy of Lear, trying to write a story, not getting anywhere? Her self-confidence? Who supported Francis and his hobbies? Her reaction to Lea’s success, becoming more and more jealous, conversations, insinuations, criticisms, phone calls? The change of hobby, running, obsessive, sequences of running, Francis cheering her on, going to the dinner, her envy of the comfortable house, leaving? And the final dinner and the choices about desert, and the patient waiter?
9. Francis and his story, devoted husband, wanting to be a composer, Karine urging him on, some compositions, moving to painting, moving to sculpture, the exhibition the social? Going to train with bonsai? His lack of success? His more simple approach, friendship?
10. The background of the world of publishing, the editors, the managers, tours, business, success?
11. And the title seen in retrospect of the whole film?

UNDER PARIS/ SOUS LA SEINE

France, 2024, 104 minutes, Colour.

Berenice Bejo, Nassim Lyes, Lea Levisant.

Directed by Xavier Gens.

While they have been some shark films before Jaws in 1975, there have been scores of shark films since. The following Google reference has quite an extraordinary list of these films: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_about_shark_attacks.

The time we have a French film. It was released in 2024, some months before the beginning of the Paris Olympic Games. And, it draws on this event for some of its drama.

As a shark film, it is somewhere between Jaws and the Sharknado heightened adventures. It opens in the Pacific, a scientific group, led by the always reliable Berenice Bejo (A Separation, The Movie Teller) backing and giant shark, but tragedy ensuing, the death of her husband. And she returns to Paris laboratory work rather than out at sea.

Some years later, there is evidence of shark presence in the Seine, a challenge to the scientists, but also a challenge to young protesters who want to protect that shark. In the meantime, there are the group of Seine police and their having to cope with the shark’s presence. And, there is the Mayor of Paris, completely absorbed in the success of the forthcoming Games, in denial when told about the shark.

For those who enjoy shark films, there is plenty of shark activity, a large shark, multiple offspring, dangers, the river police diving with some disasters, the head of the police trying to negotiate with the Mayor and being fobbed off, the protesters and the intransigence of the leader, the tracking of the shark on computer screens, the attempt to confront and capture the shark.

And then, in the atmosphere of disaster films, there is the opening of the event in the river, hundreds of swimmers, pursued by the sharks, absolute mayhem – and comeuppance for the arrogant Mayor.

As shark entertainments go, this one should go on fans’ lists.

1. The popularity of shark terror of films? The legacy of Jaws? The many shark variations?
2. The opening in the Pacific, the waste and rubbish, the trapping of the fish, the sharks, Lilith, the threats, the sharks, the offspring? The crew, the research, Sophie and her husband, the other members, the going out, the attack, their deaths? The impact on Sophie?
3. Three years later, the Paris settings, the vistas of the city, of the river, the landmarks, tunnels, the underwater photography, the headquarters of the protesters, the triathlon, the celebrations? The buildup to the climax? The musical score?
4. The situation in Paris, the mayor, publicity, international interest, the triathlon? The 2024 Olympics? Cautions about the water in the Same?
5. The sharks in the Seine, Lilith, size, spawning, the number of the sharks? The threats?
6. The protesters, the group, the cause, determination? The technology to trace the movements of the sharks? The young woman, a demonstrations, intransigence? The support of her team, their enthusiasm, meetings? The technician, her doubts, going to see Sophie, the plans to counteract the protest?
7. Adil, the police, the patrolling the rivers, their authority? The team work, the meetings with Sophie, the advice, the tensions, the searching, finding the sharks, trapping the sharks, and water? The deaths and the police grief?
8. The police, the liaison with the mayor, the visits to the mayor, eating a meal, disdain, her advisers, determination about the triathlon? The exasperation of the police, their activities despite the disapproval of the mayor?
9. The triathlon, the speeches, the crowds, the swimmers, going into the water, the police trying to ward off the sharks, the protection? The sharks loose, the massacre? Reaction of the crowds? The mayor?
10. The technician and her advice, the tracking, the protesters, the police, the buildup to the confrontations? Lilith and the many offspring?
11. Sophie and Adil, bonding? Working together, the dangers and threats? His injuries?
12. Success? Temporary? The future?