Displaying items by tag: Laure Calamy

TWO TICKETS TO GREECE/ LES CYCLADES

France, 2023, 110 minutes, Colour.

Laure Calamy, Olivia Cote, Kristin Scott Thomas.

Directed by Marc Filoussi.

French audiences will have had travels on holidays in the Greek islands, Les Cyclades, so the title will be familiar. For those who live further away from Greece, it is probably safe and informative to have the present title.

Looking at the poster and/or seeing the trailer, it is clear that this is a “women’s picture”. There are three female stars, prominent. However, there are some men, but in much more subordinate roles, understood in relationship to the women. Surprisingly, the film has a male writer-director.

We are introduced to two school friends in their mid-teens, babysitters, not as responsible as might be, ousted, giggling together. 1989. However, now they have not seen each other for 30 years. During those 30 years, Blandine (Olivia Cote) has had a very serious life. She has married, has a 20-year-old son. She has a responsible job as an anaesthetist. However, her husband has walked out on her and has sent her an invitation to his next wedding. The son supports her, tries to move out of her melancholy. She asserts that she is all right, improving.

On the other hand, the very other hand, there is Magali, Laure Calamy, probably not even aware of the word, serious. She is ebullient, enjoying life, always a new opportunity, always a new man, and she has had 30 years of various partnerships, travels in different countries, but in no way daunted even in her 40s, still the way she was when a girl. Extrovert off the page!

Blandine’s son was going on holidays to Greece, to the island where the girls’ favourite film, The Big Blue, was filmed. When he can’t go, brainwave! Why not his mother going with her best friend from the past. But, Blandine has not followed up the initial contact, and there are ominous indications of tension, potential disasters.

Needless to say, but saying it, the holiday does not go as planned, definitely not, a range of accidents, daily fiascoes, clash of personalities.

Each day matters get more complicated, stranded on a small island, missing out on the hotel bookings, encountering surfers as well is German archaeologists. A strain for Blandine, bliss for Magali.

Something of a different tone when the exuberant British-born Greek resident, Bijou for (Kristin Scott Thomas) and her Greek partner welcome the guests. As something of a relief for introverted audiences, there are some issues raised, health issues, serious issues which offer some moments of depth of the film.

The tensions amongst the women may be understood when we realise that Blandine is strongly introverted, happily so, content and her unhappiness despite efforts to bring her out of it.. But, there is, finally for each woman, some kind of opening up for the future.

1. Expectations, travel and a holiday in the Greek islands, the central stars, the audience accompanying them, things going wrong?
2. 1989, the introduction to 2 young girls, babysitters, playing the music, drinking the wine, ousted by the parents? Their giggling together?
3. 30 years later, no contact? Blending son bringing them together, the Indian restaurant, Magali and her behaviour, playing to the gallery and everyone, planning but not following it up, the many phone calls, the situation of a holiday to Greece, recipe for tensions and disasters?
4. The portrait of Blandine, mid- 40s, the marriage, separation, the ex-husband’s new marriage, the invitation, her resentment? Her bonding with her son, his care for her, trying to bring her out herself, paying for therapy club activity and who pulling out, therapists, meeting up with Magali? Tall, solemn, her work as an anaesthetist?
5. The introduction to Magali, after 30 years, ebullient it and and beyond, extrovert off the page, appearance, talk, the restaurant, flirting, phone calls, the meal, memories with Blandine, her very life, sexual escapades, touches of irresponsibility, and Beaulieu aunt?
6. The trip, the interaction between the two, the firm introvert being tormented by the extrovert? The extrovert off the page and her assuming that the introvert should behave accordingly? The conversations, the issue of being over the top and stating this, Magali improvising, the scam with the tickets, their being stranded on the island, Blandine and her resentment, the comfort of the hotel booked, the lifts, the hotel, the genial proprietor, Magali and the music, dancing around, with the German archaeologists, ingratiating herself?
7. The room, the night, the next day, going to the beach, the story of the surfers, the encounter with Maxime, from Belgium, conversation with Blandine, seeming nice? Magali and the other surfers? The next night, the party, Blandine wanting to go back to the hotel, the sexual innuendo, Maxime driving back, the kiss? Blandine declaring no interest, the later sense of betrayal when Margulies spent the night with Maxime?
8. The ferry, wanting to go to the island where The Big Blue was filmed, nodding off, missing the stop? Staying at Mykonos, the contact with Bijou? Bijou, the vehicle, hair streaming, the same style of extraversion, bonding with Magali, the exchange of rings? Off-hand with Blandine? Going to the house, Dimitris, the relationship, his heart, the cooking, companionship? The outings, the parties? Going to the party next door, Magali interfering with the music, her being told off, ousted, her going to the beach, with Maxime?
9. Bijou, more serious, knowing what Blandine did for a living, getting her to look at the x-rays, the prognosis? The serious talk between them? Bijou and her going to the doctors, the verdict, her telling Dimitris?
10. Blandine eventually going to the hotel, the aftermath of the trip, the discussions between the two, Magali and her bluntness and criticism of Blandine, Blandine and her reactions?
11. The final visit to Bijou, the good news, the bond between the two women?
12. The flight home, her decision to track down Margulies, at the studio, not doing the television program and song, the children’s program, the discussions between the two, Magali calming down a little, doing something for someone else for a change?
13. The skateboarding, Blandine and her exhilaration, something extrovert, but something individual and personal, happy? Her future?

THE ORIGIN OF EVIL

France, 2022, 123 minutes, Colour.

Laure Calamy, Doria Tillier, Dominique Blanc, Jacques Weber, Suzanne Clement, Veronique Ruggia.

Directed by Sebastien Marnier.

This is one of those films that it is better to know very little or even nothing about it before seeing it. Which makes it very difficult to review, references to characters and plot. However, the advertising tagline states: Wickedly Comic French Thriller. And that is a way into a review without spoilers.

First, a comment on the title. While it is popularly are said that money is the root of all evil, the Scriptures actually say the love of money is the root of all evil. Love of money doesn’t necessarily say that one has money but rather money is the most desirable thing in life. And the Scriptures also say that Satan, the devil, in his evil is the father of lies. To that extent, the title is very relevant.

With love of money and lies at the centre of the film, the tagline is quite correct, we see quite a lot of wickedness, especially under what seem to be respectable surfaces.

The tagline also says comic, wickedly comic. But, this will very much depend on your sense of humour, and identification or not with the Gallic sense of humour. There are more than enough if he situations, some touches of farce, especially one character who has a mansion fall of years of expensive goods from Shopping Channels, spend a holiday! And, ultimately, quite a lot of irony.

So, response will depend on our liking for French cinema, especially for the actress, Laura Academy (Full Time, in the Ardennes) who certainly demands all our attention.

And, because the plot contains quite a number of elements of crime, deceit and danger, there are the thriller elements.

And, if this sounds interesting, enticing, there is a great deal to enjoy – this reviewer would have liked a couple of more minutes at the end. The film does leave it up to ourselves to make judgements and speculate as to what will happen, but there could have been some suggestions more! And, tantalisingly during the credits close-ups of a lot of those shopping channels purchases

1. The title, traditionally money, love of money is root of evil? Satan as father of lies?
2. The film described as both comic and thrilling?
3. The story of Nathalie, with the audience meeting her as Stephane? At her apartment, landlady and affection, the daughter returning, her leaving, going to her friend Leila, working at canning the anchovies, the prison background, her phone call to Serge, hesitancy, second phone call, contact, the story of her mother, abandoned, seeking out Serge, revealing herself, his response, coming to the house, the encounter with Louise, the hostility of George, the daughter and her photographs, Agnes as stern? Her amazement at the house, warned not to come back, the private boat, her continued returns?
4. The revelation at the middle of the film, the real Stephane, the lesbian relationship, Stephane in jail, murder of a lover, the mutual dependence? And the realisation what Nathalie was doing?
5. The second half of the film, looking at Nathalie/Stephane differently, ingratiating herself, Serge becoming dependent, Louise becoming more friendly, the issue of Serge and his competence, Serge and his visit to Nathalie in the bath, the preparation for the testimony, his outbursts of rage? Anti-Semitic? Homophobic and his son?
6. The preparation for the court case, Nathalie ingratiating herself with Serge, discovering Agnes and his stealing, Serge revealing this to the group, wanting the cottage for Nathalie, ousting Agnes, the hearing, Nathalie and her testimony, repeating the line that Serge had prepared, her change of tone, the revelations? Serge, his reaction, collapse?
7. Serge in hospital, Nathalie with him, smothering him, George listening and observing, colluding?
8. The irony of the real Stephane reading the newspaper, absconding from work, coming to the funeral, making a scene? The discovery of Nathalie? The confrontation, her coming to the house, Nathalie taking her to the passage that Louise had revealed, to the sea, attacking Stephane and killing her? Taking her phone?
9. The family together, George playing the piano, everything seeming to be settled?
10. The two guards, coming to the house, the fact that Stephane had sought permission to come, ringing her phone? The long final close-up of Nathalie’s face?
11. The character of Serge, the past, womanising, despising his wife, his children, the antagonism with George, her forceful personality, running the business? Her wanting to have control over Serge? Louise, eccentric, the long marriage, tolerance, the shopping channels, her spending, spend a holiday? Becoming friendly with Nathalie? The granddaughter, Australia, taking photographs, wanting to leave the family and go back to Australia? Agnes, devotion to the family, for many decades, stern, servant, stealing from Louise? Louise accepting this?
12. The real Stephane, her life, relationships, murder, in prison, the victim of Nathalie, identity theft, Nathalie and her reputation? Stephane and her desperate dependence, getting the news, going to the house, the confrontation, her death?
13. The origin of evil, identity theft, money, lying?