A tender little love story : J' vous tres beau
An atypical love story
I went to a local french film festival and came in with mixed expectations. However, in the spirit of doing something different for my birthday ( and the fact that the only Irish pub was closed...) I settled into this movie.
What I got was a delightful little movie about learning how to love. Ame is a bald boorish and grumpy who lives with his equally boring and sturdy wife.The Pigerets, are a typical old married couple set in a routine of hard labour and lack of romantic love. Set in a farm in the outback of a small French village, We see Mrs.Pigeret going through the typical chores of the house. Her only escape is a frilly soap opera that Aymee scoffs at. A bitter argument ensues as she goes off to check on the animals
Cut to the next scene, where Aymee is burying his wife. Expected to be torn up about his loss , he is only upset at been left virtually incapacitated to fend for himself , even killing the cat by unwillingly putting her in the washing machine.
He is advised to go to a marriage matchmaker, who seeing his lack of concern for what type of women he wants " as long as they have hair " , she quickly sets a date to visit desperate women who need to get out of an impoverished part of Romania.
Under a pretend guise, Amyee leaves not very sure of what he shall find. He sees however women with high polished nails who use the same expression " J' vous tres beau"... a ridiculous statement for a boorish bald old man. As he watches them dither about modern Paris, he wonders whether he can ever find someone to fit in..
Enter Elena , a beautiful spunky girl who investigated properly before going into the interview and declares that she loves animals and loves to work, and scoffs at the image that he is handsome.
On their first encounter she tries to kiss him but finally filled with melancholy he refuses.
We realize later it his feelings of awkwardness towards love which cause him to be this way and not any sort of loyalty to his wife. They agree for her to leave for romania as she tearfully says goodbbye to her young daughter.
Elena is introduced to the small villaging community ( which is filled with colourful characters including an almost deaf grandmother who always asks who has died...)as a distant relative of his wife. Ayme quickly establishes a line between them and refuses to get close to her despite her numerous attempts to do so.
Yet, like the dog he keeps who is tied to a tree, apparently wild and grumpy , she quickly tames him with her friendly nature. His fumbling attempts at romantic gestures are endearing, as well as his acute awareness of the age difference. As she gives the house a feminine touch, he is unable to cope with the powerful feelings she causes in him and when they go to a state fair and the men ogle at her he is filled with an unknown feeling of longing and despair. When she tries again to seduce him he lashes out ensuing her to leave in despair yet his heart is broken when he sees her leave and declares that " She is the sun"....
As the roles change and he tries to win her love he watches with sadness as she pulls away , missing her home and family and desperate for money to bring home. So, he makes the ultimate sacrifice to keep her happy.
I won't spoil the whole movie , but it is a sweet and beautiful movie about finding love in the most unlikely of places with a " mail order" bride. Michel Blanc gives a magnificent performance, as a man coming out of his self imposed shell. It also has beautiful cinematography with wide set spaces and fields , one particular scene seems almost palpable to the touch as Ame walks in the moonlight alongside his dog in a large winding road in the countryside.
Don't expect profound analysis to the movie, but it is nice that the main character is not typically handsome nor is the female lead a femme fatale or an Amelie with wide eyes and doll like features. It tells us a love story filled with tenderness and a story of two hearts willing to try again.
I went to a local french film festival and came in with mixed expectations. However, in the spirit of doing something different for my birthday ( and the fact that the only Irish pub was closed...) I settled into this movie.
What I got was a delightful little movie about learning how to love. Ame is a bald boorish and grumpy who lives with his equally boring and sturdy wife.The Pigerets, are a typical old married couple set in a routine of hard labour and lack of romantic love. Set in a farm in the outback of a small French village, We see Mrs.Pigeret going through the typical chores of the house. Her only escape is a frilly soap opera that Aymee scoffs at. A bitter argument ensues as she goes off to check on the animals
He is advised to go to a marriage matchmaker, who seeing his lack of concern for what type of women he wants " as long as they have hair " , she quickly sets a date to visit desperate women who need to get out of an impoverished part of Romania.
Under a pretend guise, Amyee leaves not very sure of what he shall find. He sees however women with high polished nails who use the same expression " J' vous tres beau"... a ridiculous statement for a boorish bald old man. As he watches them dither about modern Paris, he wonders whether he can ever find someone to fit in..
On their first encounter she tries to kiss him but finally filled with melancholy he refuses.
We realize later it his feelings of awkwardness towards love which cause him to be this way and not any sort of loyalty to his wife. They agree for her to leave for romania as she tearfully says goodbbye to her young daughter.
Elena is introduced to the small villaging community ( which is filled with colourful characters including an almost deaf grandmother who always asks who has died...)as a distant relative of his wife. Ayme quickly establishes a line between them and refuses to get close to her despite her numerous attempts to do so.
Yet, like the dog he keeps who is tied to a tree, apparently wild and grumpy , she quickly tames him with her friendly nature. His fumbling attempts at romantic gestures are endearing, as well as his acute awareness of the age difference. As she gives the house a feminine touch, he is unable to cope with the powerful feelings she causes in him and when they go to a state fair and the men ogle at her he is filled with an unknown feeling of longing and despair. When she tries again to seduce him he lashes out ensuing her to leave in despair yet his heart is broken when he sees her leave and declares that " She is the sun"....
As the roles change and he tries to win her love he watches with sadness as she pulls away , missing her home and family and desperate for money to bring home. So, he makes the ultimate sacrifice to keep her happy.
I won't spoil the whole movie , but it is a sweet and beautiful movie about finding love in the most unlikely of places with a " mail order" bride. Michel Blanc gives a magnificent performance, as a man coming out of his self imposed shell. It also has beautiful cinematography with wide set spaces and fields , one particular scene seems almost palpable to the touch as Ame walks in the moonlight alongside his dog in a large winding road in the countryside.
Don't expect profound analysis to the movie, but it is nice that the main character is not typically handsome nor is the female lead a femme fatale or an Amelie with wide eyes and doll like features. It tells us a love story filled with tenderness and a story of two hearts willing to try again.
