(Also available on Blu-Ray)
Synopsis:
In a small French town, Germain (Gérard Depardieu), a nearly illiterate
man in his 50s and considered to be the village idiot, takes a walk to
the park one day and happens to sit beside Margueritte, a little old
lady who is reading excerpts from her novel aloud. She’s articulate,
highly intelligent and frail. Germain is lured by Margueritte’s passion
for life and the magic of literature from which he has always felt
excluded. As Margueritte broadens his mind via reading excerpts from her
novel, Germain realizes that he is more of an intellectual than he has
ever allowed himself to be. Afternoons spent reading aloud on their
favorite bench transform their lives and start them both on a new
journey—to literacy and respect for Germain, and to the deepest
friendship for Margueritte.
My Thoughts:
Who knew Gerard Depardieu was still making good movies? If I hadn't stumbled upon a recent press release regarding this film, I wouldn't have known about the movie, or that Gerard Depardieu was still acting. After his recent airplane incident, not many people would give him the time of day when it came to turning out good movies. But, I have been a fan of his acting since seeing him in Green Card and My Father the Hero, films from the 90's. There is something about him that makes intriguing. He usually plays a fumbling bloak that has you rooting for him from the beginning.
As I watched this movie, I was reminded of Tuesdays with Morrie, as it had a similar feel of two people sharing afternoons together, intellectually. The film itself moves along well, and at 83 minutes in length, I found myself engaged from start to finish. I couldn't help by smile as I watched Margueritte (played by Gisele Casadesus), as she sat on the park bench. Even though she is petite in stature, Margueritte is full of life and does an amazing job in sharing excerpts from her novel in a way to broaden the intellectual mind of Germain (played by Gerard Depardieu).
I love movies where unexpected friendships are formed, and this film surely fits the bill. It was a joy to watch, and one film I will definitely watch again in the future. If you love comedic dramas, that star foreign actors, then you will love this film. Even though it hasn't received much press, it is worth checking out.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this film from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. The views above are mine and mine alone.
No comments :
Post a Comment