Displaying items by tag: Bastien Bouillon

MONSIEUR AZNAVOUR

France, 2024, 133 minutes, Colour.

Tahar Rahim, Bastien Bouillon, Marie-Julie Baup.

Directed by Mehdi Idir, Grand Corps Malade.

French singer and entertainer, Charles’s novel, was born in 1924 and died in 2018. He was a celebrity for more than half of the 20^th century, and continued as a celebrity well into the 21^st-century. He was a significant figure in French culture, but also well-nine internationally, a collaborator with many sinners and a contributor to social awareness and humanitarian causes.

While the film is over two hours, it is still only an overview of the life and career of a snowball, the outline of his life, born in France to an Armenian family, growing up in Paris of the 1920s and 1930s, the experiences during World War II, the sheltering of Jews, his talent when on stage, his singing, the encounters during the 1940s, opening up all kinds of possibilities for his life – which he followed through.

While there is admiration for as an of or throughout the film, there is something of an implicit critique of him and his vision for his life, his stating that his career was the most important thing in his life, more important than any relationships. To that extent, he was single-minded, sometimes ruthless in his breaking of relationships. The film does not emphasise his humanitarian concern and public commitments which would modify the thought that the film is asking the gospel question, “what does it profit to gain the whole world and lose one’s soul?”.

Projector, Tahir Rahim, made a significant impression in 2010 in The Prophet. Since then he has had a very significant career in film and television, French films as well as international films. He enters into the persona of a snowball, his appearance, his manner and style, impersonating his answers, his singing, certainly bringing others and of all alive.

A great deal of time is spent on a snowball and his singing, his collaboration with composer and pianist, peer Roush, the encounter with Edith Piaf and her encouragement, his opening for her on tours, going to the Americas with her. There is also the story of his encounter at a performance with his first wife, their daughter, his stating to her that career was the murder most important thing in his life.

Paragraph with Roush, he was very successful, and jaunty style and popular songs. But, this was not enough. He continued to compose, over 1000 songs eventually, seen in the stair stack of red notebooks containing them. But, popularity waned, he was taunted about his appearance, height, raspy voice – and composed a series of songs which were highly personal dramatising this crisis. He went into performance, is that he did not communicate but was met with a standing ovation and acclamation. He never looked back.

As Nepal appeared in films, especially Frost/Truffaut’s captured the Pianist. The film shows his work with a number of writers, producers, his many recordings. There is his venture further to the United States, rivalling Frank Sinatra. (It is worth checking in Wikipedia to see the names of so many singers with whom he collaborated including placid Domingo, Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli…).

In the 1960s, as Nepal encountered a Swedish model, Ulla, who wanted marriage and family. And, ultimately, this he achieved, for many decades.

An important opportunity for audiences to get to know something of Charles as Nepal as well as to hear him singing and to appreciate the impact of the wide range of his songs.

1. Audience knowledge of Charles Aznavour? Entertainer, singer, in France, international reputation? International humanitarian and political causes? Dying in 2018?
2. Tahar Rahim and his acting reputation, career, impersonation of CA, personality, singing, performance style, idiosyncrasies?
3. Aznavour and his vast number of songs, their incorporation into the screenplay, the range and style, the lyrics, the narratives, reflecting his life, the stages of his life? The dramatic effect?
4. The chronology of the story of Aznavour, the chapters, short at the beginning, longer? The difficulty of the screenplay not specifying particular times in decades, audiences trying to place Aznavour’s career and developments?
5. The visuals, the first chapter and Paris, the poorer quarters, the Armenian families, restaurants, clubs? The second chapter and Aznavour growing up, at home, his talent, the audition, on stage, applause? The affirmation of his family?
6. The portrait of the family, devoted father and mother, continued support, his relationship with his sister, her continued support, her own career over the years?
7. The war, occupied Paris, Aznavour in his teens, singing, entertaining? The sheltering of the Jews, the Germans arriving, Aznavour hiding in the hotel opposite? Seeing the Jews transported? The atmosphere of the war, surviving in Paris, ordinary life trying to go on?
8. Aznavour and his voice, raspy, his appearance, comments on his nose, short? Sometimes a disadvantage? The encounter with Pierre Rouche? His skills, piano, lyrics? Friendship, working together, appearing together, duets, success? Aznavour building up his career, charm?
9. The encounter with Edith Piaf, her personality, her success, singing and style, in the streets, concerts, tours, after the war, to Canada, to the US? The encounter with Aznavour, her being intrigued, friendship, going on tour to introduce her, their being late for the train, on the bus, early, the performances? Not enough for Aznavour? Going to North America, getting the money, the travel, the visa issues, Ellis Island, singing and the approval to get in? Their work in Canada, the clubs, promotion? But not enough, Pierre wanting to stay, to marry? Aznavour going back to France?
10. Singing in the clubs, meeting Charles Trenet, meeting the songwriters, his clicking with people? The song, the mother and daughter, the daughter singing, the attraction, marrying, their daughter, his being absent, indications of womanising, his wife left alone, with the daughter, his visits, distant, the separation? Further relationship with his daughter?
11. The hard times, the clubs, people not listening, his continuing to compose? The further encounters with Edith Piaf?
12. The film highlighting his focus on himself, self-absorption, wanting to be at the top, the continued support of his family, his declaring that his career was the most important thing in life, the drama of achieving fame, eventually achieving it, in America, Frank Sinatra, nationally, the tours, reputation, Hollywood star, awards? Yet his restlessness despite his prosperity, wealth, luxury home? Affairs? The encounter with Ulla, clash, Swedish, her returning, eventually getting together, wanting marriage, children, the relationship with her over the decades?
13. His desperation, people ridiculing him, the discussions with the writers, the producers, meeting up again with Pierre? The ridicule, the composition of his autobiographical song, the important night of his life, the performance, the orchestra, his intensity, the self-revelation, behind the curtain, thinking it failed, urged to go out on bail, the acclamation?
14. His successful career, the range of singers that he performed with over the decades, the encounter with Frank Sinatra, his salary?
15. The film not indicating so much the political causes as well as a humanitarian commitment?
16. The long life, recognition and reputation, the concerts, the number of records sold, the thousands of songs, his film appearances…?
17. But implication in the screenplay of gaining the whole world and losing something of oneself?

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

France, 2024, 178 minutes, Colour.

Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anais Demoustier, Anamaria Vartolomei, Laurent Lafitte, Pierfrancesco Favino, Patrick  Mille, Vasdsili Schneider, Julien De Saint Jean, Julie De Bona, Adele Simphal, Stephane Varupenne, Marie Narbonne, Bruno Raffaelli.

Directed by Alexandre de La Patellière, Matthieu Delaporte.

The novels of Alexandre Dumas have been very popular since the 1840s. French history – The Three Musketeers, the Man in the Iron Mask, The Count of Monte Cristo. And, they have provided a great deal of entertainment on the big screen and on the small screen. The Wikipedia entry on the novel lists 25 film versions all films, even in imaginary sequels, which derive from the plot and even more television versions.

The novel gets full attention in this version. It runs for almost 3 hours. And, it can be described as “lavishly-mounted” which covers the visual style of settings and sets, costumes and decor, 19^th century atmosphere. And, this time, it is a French version, a national version of a national treasure.

Audiences remembering previous versions, this reviewer remembering Robert Donat, Richard Chamberlain, Jim Caviezel, the injustices that fall on the central hero, Edmund Dantes, especially, his imprisonment on the island, Chateau D’If, near Marseille. The long years that he spent isolated in prison, the tunnelling, his contact with Abbe, Faria the Abbe instructing him, bequeathing him the treasures of Monte Cristo, but no abating the sense of vengeance and revenge. And, then, his escape.

This time Edmond Dantes is played by French actor, Pierre Niney, who has been building a successful career in a variety of roles but who now successfully embodies the complexities of the Count of Monte Cristo. Interestingly, the role of the Abbe Faria is played by very popular Italian actor, Pierfrancesco Favino, most convincing in this role.

However, in this version, all this action takes place in the first hour. It was something of a surprise to find two hours spent on Edmond Dantes and his voyage to Monte Cristo, the treasure, his new identity, his place in the world and the response to this mystery celebrity. Even though the film is long, a lot of the action takes place off screen, the screenplay suddenly moving five years or more in advance, the audience having to fill in their response to the changes in the Count.

But, for the drama, his establishing himself, the long quest for revenge, his activities in the meantime, his international travels, his contacts, there is a huge supporting cast. There is the opening sequence of his rescue of the Napoleonic spy from the sea, his humble family background, the accusations against him, the betrayals. And these characters, years older, quite complex stories in their own right, become the targets of his plotting, manipulations, violent revenge, impoverishment of rivals, deaths.

And, as with the other versions, there are some swashbuckling sequences and swordfights. But, ultimately, the novel and the film versions do raise the perennial and important question from the Gospels, “what does it profit to gain the whole world but to lose one’s soul?”.

1. The long popularity of the novel, the historical novels of Alexandre Dumas? The many film versions, television series, imaginative sequels, stories based on the plot – especially unjust imprisonment, escapes, vengeance?
2. A lavish 21^st-century production? Period, atmosphere, costumes and decor, buildings, mansions, interiors? Courts, jails, the Château d’If? Sequences at sea? The rescue? The isle of Monte Cristo? The treasures?
3. The length of the film, audience emersion in the period, the characters and issues?
4. The opening, the sea and the ships, in the sea, Dantes and his rescuing of the young woman, the reaction of the Captain, his anger? Meeting with the company owner, his dismissal of the captain, his promotion of Dantes, the identity of the woman, Napoleonic spy?
5. Dantes, return home, reunion with his father, his father as a servant (and the later grief at the news of his father’s death), the aristocratic family, the conversation, his love for Mercedes, the friendship with Fernand? The wedding, the interruption, his being arrested, Mercedes lived at the altar?
6. The interrogation, the role of the hill fort, the ship’s captain, the owner of the shipping company, Fernand, Danglars and his associate, listening in, Fernand giving up Dantes for the family’s name? Dantes taken away, the imprisonment?
7. Four years passing, Dantes alone in his cell, the grating at the top, the roll call for “Living”? His suffering, the appearance? Stone moving, the contact with Abbe Faria? The tunnelling continuing, the discussions, Faria offering to teach Dantes everything, languages, maths, philosophy, history? 10 more years passing, the tunnelling, the saltwater, the collapse, the injuries to Faria, and his explanation of the Knights Templar, the treasures, the island of Monte Cristo? Faria dying, the preparations for his body to be thrown overboard? Dantes, substituting himself, the discovery of the empty cell, his being thrown into the sea, escaping from the canvas, swimming to safety?
8. Monte Cristo, the steps, the mausoleum, opening it, the dark and the torch, the vast depths, the discovery of the treasure?
9. The screenplay and the passing of time, months, years? The later dialogue filling in what happened to Dantes, his emergence as the Count of Monte Cristo? His buying the mansions, the setup and decor, affluence? His identity? (And his disguising himself as a priest and confronting Danglars’ associate, getting the truth from him, later appearing, to get absolution, and leading his band of thugs?)
10. Dantes and his personality, the past experience, the imprisonment, his travels, and the news that Mercedes had married Fernand? A son? His bitterness, wanting vengeance, coldly calculating and planning?
11. His finding the woman he rescued, her story about her brother, his mistress pregnant, the birth, de Villefort burying the baby, her rescuing it, bringing him up, going to the institution? Dantes and his visit, meeting Andre, taking him away, the years passing, his educating him, part of his plan? The revelation Andre about his father?
12. Haydee, her story, the war, Dantes finding her, her father, the role of Fernand, losing his eye, but killing her father, her being part of Dantes’s plan?
13. The stage robbery, Andre, being pursued by Albert, the thugs, Dantes and the rescue of the boy, restoring him to his family, their gratitude? And the assailants all getting up after their performance?
14. Meeting Fernand, meeting Mercedes, his reaction, judging her for not waiting? Her suspicions of his identity? Their further meetings, tactics and wordplay? Ultimately, the revelation of the truth, her knowing who he was, her pleading for her son, her story about his loving him, his producing the document of Fernand’s betrayal?
15. Danglar5s, his prosperity, fleet, slavery, organised human trafficking in Marseilles, his involvement, his marrying de Villefort’s mistress, their daughter? His self-confidence?
16. The various socials, entertaining, Dantes and his being feted? The story of Lord Halifax, ultimately Dantes masking himself, literally, as Halifax, the interview with de Villefort? His psychological manoeuvres? The newspaper, Impartial, and the stories of Danglars’ fleet and disappearance, the reassurance, Danglars and his finance, confident of putting all his hopes in Dantes’s money?
17. The romances, Albert and Haydee, Dantes forbidding it, yet their meeting, the romance? Andre, and his attentions to Danglars. daughter, and the fact that she was his half sister?
18. Dinner, at the Château where Andre was born and buried? Dantes and his way of telling the story, the guests listening, and Danglars interested, the threat to de Villefort?
19. In court, Andre and his previous masquerade as the Spanish count, credibility, rehearsing his lines with Dantes? Exposing the truth, the exposure of his father? And his later arrest? Danglars and the realisation of the truth, Dantes and his self-revelation?
20. Albert, his love for Haydee, her love for him, urging him to go? Defying Dantes, the glove, the duel? Mercedes and her pleading for her son? The duel, Dantes shooting away? His return, Haydee and her upset, denouncing him, her love for Albert, his being in the coach, emerging, Dantes urging them to run away to their future?
21. The confrontation with Fernand, the duel, swords and knives, injuries, Dantes and his surviving? Mercedes and her leaving her husband?
22. The moral issues, the issue of the innocent victim, punishment, torture? The transition to vengeance, literally gaining the whole world, Dantes losing his soul, the possibility of forgiveness, and the final words of: