Displaying items by tag: isabelle Huppert

SIDONIE AU JAPON/ SIDONIE IN JAPAN

France, 2023, 95 minutes, Colour.

Isabelle Huppert, Tsuyoshi Ihara, August Diehl.

Directed by Elise Girard.

What happens when one visits a new country, experiences a different culture, brings one’s life experiences and discovers more about oneself and the need for change?

This is another star vehicle for Isabelle Huppert who has been top-lining films for almost 50 years, a great talent for embodying a variety of roles. This time she is a writer who has not written for some time but is invited by a Japanese publisher to come to Japan for a week to promote,  for interviews about the Japanese translation of her first book.

We see her late at the airport, but the plane delayed, uncertainty as to whether she should venture to Japan or not. She does, somewhat bewildered on arrival, her luggage examined, then met by the publisher himself, quietly imposing figure, Kenzo (an dignified Tsuyoshi Ihara) and her unexpected journey begins.

Despite her education, she is very awkward in the Japanese situation, exemplified by her uncertainty about bowing (and her awkward bowing), the fact that Kenzo took her purse as well as her suitcase, and her wanting the purse back… There is also the language situation, her not having any Japanese, some conversations in French, sometimes having to resort to English.

We’re not quite sure what to make of Sidonie, perhaps wondering what we would do in our first visit to a different culture. But, she manages the interviews, the revelation that her writing was promoted by her late husband, and her stopping writing the result of grieving at his death. And, she gradually gets to know Kenzo, step-by-step his revealing something about himself, non-communication with his wife, being busy, a loner. They go on tours around Japan – very engaging for an audience wanting to see more of the country and culture – the cities, temples, coast, the islands.

But there is a lot more to Sidonie’s Japanese experience. In Japan, there is a culture of ghosts, ghostly presences, the dead in some kind of communion with the living. Suddenly, Sidonie, glimpses her husband, smiling (August Diehl). He keeps appearing and disappearing, communicating with her, tantalising, sad memories, some jokes with her even laughing and giggling. And, she wonders, and we wonder, what this could mean.

What it does mean, of course, is that Sidonie is able to come to terms with her husband’s death, her grief, its paralysing effect on her life, the fact that she was encouraged by him to write, that she loves to write, that she can begin again. There is the intimacy with Kenzo but could it be something permanent? Or not?.

This is the story of Sidonie in Japan, and it is an invitation for us to travel into the meaning of our own lives.

1. The title focus? A portrait of Sidonie? Her experience of Japan, culture and traditions?
2. The focus on Japan, audience expectations, awareness of Japanese culture, the landscapes, the cities, the population? The opening visuals of the city, the skyscrapers? Then the move into the towns, the countryside, the sea? The beauty of Japan, the landscapes, the water, islands? The meetings, temples, Buddhist traditions? The musical score, the piano themes, pensive, excited?
3. The low-key of the film, pensive, meditative, gentle exploration of the awakening consciousness in Japan?
4. At the Paris airport, the plane delayed, Sidonie uncertain? The flight, arrival in Japan, feeling lost, the guards and directions, the luggage? Her meeting with Kenzo, quiet, dark glasses, somewhat remote, carrying her luggage, taking her bag, her trotting afterwards, taking back the bag? The awkwardness in bowing, his advice to not bow? arrival in the hotel, settling in? The prospect of her book tour?
5. Her background, the death of her parents in the accident, her survival and consciousness of this, her story of the meeting with Antoine, the bonding, love, marriage, the sadness of his death? His encouraging her writing, her first book, further writing, his death, not writing anymore? The Japanese translation of her first book, the invitation to Japan?
6. Sidonie and her getting used to Japan, French, English, translations, the interviews with the journalist, the questions, her responses about her life, surviving with her writing? The signing of books? Admiration for her?
7. The sudden appearance of Antoine, the searching for him, the mystery of the shop windows, the window open, the mess on the floor, her complaints to reception? His continued appearances, smiling, beginning to talk, their communication, her searching for him, not having dinner with Kenzo, wanting to go back to Antoine? The bonding, their talking, issues of ghosts and presents, death? His gradual fading? His mischievous behaviour, in the bath in the shower, and her giggling, the discussions with Kenzo, his explanation of ghosts in Japan, sense of presence?
8. Her coming to terms with his presence, with his death, with her happiness, the dream at her kissing him and Kenzo?
9. The travelling together, the islands, the exhilaration, the shared experiences, the bonding?
10. Kenzo, gradually revealing his life alienation from his wife, his working, admiration for Sidonie, being with her, the travelling together, the long close-up on their hands, touching, communication, the use of a succession of stills for the sexual encounter?
11. The effect on Sidonie, the six days in Japan, opening her eyes to different perspectives, cultures, spiritual beliefs, coming to terms with her life after death of Antoine, her beginning to write again?
12. The farewell at the airport, her going back to France – and the last close-up of Kenzo at her departure?

THE SITTING DUCK/  LA SYNDACALISTE

France, 2023, 121 minutes, Colour.

Isabelle Huppert, Gregory Gadbois, François-Xavier Demaison, Pierre Deladojnchamps, Alexandra Maria Lara,  Mara Taquin, Yvan Attal, Marina Fois..

Directed by Jean-Paul Salome.

The English title, indicating an obvious target, does not quite do justice to the French title which indicates someone who is a member of a trade union. And this is the case with the central character, based on an actual people and events in France, starting in 2011, Maureen Kearny.

French actress, Isabelle Huppert, has been top lining films for more than 50 years, an impressive career and skill in bringing to life an enormous range of roles. Here, she does not look like herself, a face pale instead of freckles, blonde hair with a fringe, wearing spectacles. It is a commanding performance especially as we see her initially in Hungary, taking the sides of the female workers whose jobs are threatened, then returning to Paris, working with authorities, she and her female boss looked down on, snide but semi-loud comments from the male executives. It is clear that this is going to be a significant confrontation between men and women in the corporate world, and the corporate world and its confrontation with unions.

At the centre of this corporate world is a nuclear company, Avara, in competition with a French company but the French company in secret conversations with China, China wanting to expand its building nuclear reactors around the world. Maureen’s boss loses her job, a less competent executive is appointed in her place, quite some clashes with Maureen.

A whistleblower approaches Maureen with damning documents and, what follows, is tangles with bureaucracy, the change of the French president, looking down on Maureen because she is a woman, because she is a Unionist. Then, she is viciously assaulted in her home.

The screenplay then veers away from the complexities of the nuclear companies, indicating what happened in fact, Chinese expansion of French jobs. Maureen is continually supported by the unions and their leaders.

The film then focuses on Maureen, the attack, the police investigation, the audience finding, once again that the word of the woman is not immediately accepted, is doubted, she herself coming under suspicion, especially when there has been trauma in the past, drinking, a suicide attempt.

While Maureen might have been the sitting duck for this assault, and she does cave in to the police for a time, the latter part of the film is her standing up for herself, even taking years, examining the situation, the work of skilful lawyers, a court appearance and her vindication.

Maureen Kearny is a strong character, to be admired in the early part of the film and, compassion for her and her struggles after the assault and the police investigations. She is supported by her husband of 20 years, Gregory Gadebois quite the opposite of his leading role in A Great Friend, and a complex relationship with her daughter.

Interesting themes in themselves, very relevant in these times of #MeToo, and yet another fine performance from Isabelle Huppert.

1. Based on a true story? 2011-2017?
2. A French story, French corporations, nuclear corporations, the unions, union representatives, deals, international deals, secrecy, whistleblowers? And the targeting of the union representative, a sort, police investigations, court cases?
3. The opening, Maureen in Hungary, with the workers, standing up to the authorities, a return to Paris, is seven as her boss, her being relieved of her job, the meetings with the male executives, their mutterings and insults? The expose of male domination in the workplace?
4. Maureen as union representative, the support of the unions, the meetings? The background, 20 years with her husband, his support, sometimes exasperation? Her daughter, sometimes rebellious, sometimes supportive? The background of her drinking, attempted suicide, mental states?
5. The whistleblower, the documentation, the situation with the company, financial difficulties, change of CEO, the new official, the opinion of him as weak, the meetings with Maureen, flaring up? The Chinese, the deals behind the scenes, documentation? Politicians?
6. Maureen and her interventions, suspicions, union support, the change of government, the new President, going to see the minister the discussions with Anne, tensions??
7. The impact of the assault, seeing it at the beginning of the film, the aftermath, the effect on Maureen? The screenplay coming back to the assault, the effect on Maureen, her fears, husband’s response, daughter?
8. The police investigation, the chief investigator, interrogations, the screenplay highlighting how a woman is treated in this this kind of assault case, a man? The questions, the replay of the situation, suspicions, her work being doubted, seeming inconsistencies? The pressure on her, her confessing that she had made it up? The police response, the media, her name being black and?
9. Her change of heart, the reaction of the police, the years taken in going back over the case, the re-creation, the possibilities and import possibilities, the reality of Maureen and her injured shoulder (and the sequences of the doctor’s consultations and tests), employing the more skilled lawyer, the case, her case being proven, the condemnation of the police investigator, of the treatment of women?
10. The impact of the film as a portrait of Maureen, her work, the attack, the consequences, her reputation, her vindication?
11. The impact of the film and corporations, deals, political implications, the unions?
12. The impact of the film in the context of the 2010s, the #MeToo movement and greater awareness of male bullying, exploitation and treatment of women?

MON CRIME/ THE CRIME IS MINE

France, 2022, 104 minutes, Colour.

Nadia Tereszkeiwicz, Rebecca Marder, Isabelle Huppert, Fabrice Luchini, Dany Boon, Andre Dussolier, Edouard Sulpice.

Directed by François Ozon.

The original intention was to indicate the tone of prolific director, François Ozon’s, latest film was to find a French vocabulary equivalent to say that this was a “hoot”. However, Google was able to supply the equivalent of a car horn (the not particularly Gallic ‘klaxoner’) or the cry of an owl. Nevertheless, the point is made, Mon Crime is a French hoot.

Ozon has gone back to a theatrical piece from 1934, keeping its setting, costumes and decor, quite a period piece. And, it is very French in its eccentric characters, some arch behaviour, a lot of farce, humorous dialogue and satire. And, it has a cast to match, two leading ladies, one an aspiring actress who achieves her aspirations via a very suspicious ladder, the other her roommate, a prosecutor. But there are some veterans of French cinema who steal the moments they find themselves in: Fabrice Luchini is a pompously humourless judge, Dany Boon, an aspiring entrepreneur, Andre Dussolier as a vehicle tyre tycoon. But, when she appears in the middle of the film, Isabelle Huppert who has shown for over 40 years that she can excel in any role, comic, tragic, and in between, suddenly swoops into the plot, looking like the Madwoman of Chaillot, performing as if she is trying to outdo Sarah Bernhardt. Mon Crime is worth seeing just for Isabelle Huppert.

The plot is farcical in the realistic sense as well as in the comic sense, a murder, a most eccentric court case with speeches that might not have been made in 1934. Ozon himself in an interview refers to the film about the “sorority”. In more recent times this would have been referred to as #Me Too. Bullying and abusive males are definitely a target.

Lies and deceptions are staple for this kind of story. And there are some amusing twists as how the lies are exploited, in the court, when the truth is exposed, in financial wheedling and arm-twisting for cover-ups. And, when the aspiring actress has achieved theatrical status and reputation, a final sequence of the play before the curtain comes down, two women, a gun, and an abusive male.

For audiences not quite expecting what is to come, give the film 15 minutes or more to introduce the two young women, find out about the murder – and then surrender to the twists and absurdities and comic consequences which follow.

1. The title, ironic, the murder, the claims?
2. Based on a 1934 play, keeping the situation, 1934, costumes and decor, the theatre? Performance? The tone, comic, farcical, ironic, serious undertones?
3. The film is realistic, as stylised? Characters, situations?
4. Introduction to the two women, the aspiring actress, the aspiring lawyer, sharing the apartment, the landlord wanting the rent, their playing him?
5. The situation, the death, Madeleine, the long walk home, the response of Pauline? The producer, womanising, violent death?
6. The court case, the judge, his personality, serious, the discussions, irony about his approach to the case? His assistant? The court case, the prosecutor and his bombastic tone, Pauline for the defence, Madeleine in the dock, the witnesses, the cross-examination, the variety of speeches, Madeleine, impassioned? The crowd in the court room, listening, laughing, applauding? The money, not stolen, found?
7. The verdict, Madeleine’s crime, the reporting, the office, the play, audition, getting the part? Her reputation, the couple having more money, moving house, more lavish lifestyle?
8. The character of Palmarade, money issues, the dead man, and her, the visits to the women, the attraction, the dead man and the debt, his getting all the money?
9. Andre, with Madeleine, rich, not working, Madeleine urging him to work? His planning to marry the rich woman, very serious, not realising the ironies?
10. The arrival of Odette, Isabelle Huppert and her performance, appearance, style, beyond Sarah Bernhardt? Claiming the killing? The threat to Madeleine and her reputation?
11. The plan, going to Andre’s father, the financial situation, his disdain towards Madeleine, changing his mind, the encounter with Odette, his reputation and his son’s marriage, Odette and the money? His agreeing to the plan?
12. The finale, Odette running along the road, joining with Madeleine, on stage, their both shooting the dead man?
13. The 1930s play and characters, issues, but a 21^st-century tone of irony, farce, and feminism?