Summary
A middle-aged film critic’s life is turned upside down when his younger wife leaves him
to start an affair with a TV director. The critic, Didier Temple, finds himself
the victim of unfair criticism of those around him – the most vituperative assault coming
from Lord Ariel Chatwick-West when Didier arrives uninvited at his dinner party.
Whilst trying to make an embarrassed exit from that party, Didier is ensnared by Chatwick-West’s
beautiful niece, Aurélie, and starts a wild romance with her, without realising
that she has another boyfriend, the more successful writer Jérôme.
Things get unbearably complicated when Didier’s wife returns to him and Aurélie
turns out to be slightly deranged...
Review
This brilliantly scripted romantic comedy makes a perfect vehicle for Fabrice Luchini,
for one of France’s most cultivated and eloquent actors. It wouldn’t be too much
of an exaggeration to say that the entire film seems to have been crafted with Luchini
in mind – he is perfectly cast in the part of an ego-centric writer who is singularly
incapable of coping with the bizarre turns his life is taking. Luchini clearly relishes
the role and gives one of his best performances, demonstrating his credentials as one
of the masters of the intellectual comedy.
Amazingly, Rien sur Robert is only the second film to be directed by Pascal Bonitzer,
whose credits as an actor and film scriptwriter date back to the late 1970s. Not
only is the film well-written (with some excellent tongue-in-cheek, intelligent comedy)
but it is directed with flair, maturity and several bucket loads of Gallic charm.
The style of the film is often reminiscent of other great film directors like Eric Rohmer
and Luiz Buñuel – a closely observed study of human interactions, but with more
than a soupçon of acerbic wit.
If the film delights with its script, it positively dazzles with its acting performances.
In addition to the aforementioned Fabric Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain and Valentina Cervi
are captivating as the two women in Didier’s life, and there are some pleasing contributions
from actors as diverse as Michel Piccoli, Laurent Lucas, Bernadette Lafont and Edouard
Baer.
And if you are wondering where the Robert of the film’s title fits into all this, he doesn’t
– except in a fleeting reference to the French surrealist poet Robert Desnos, who might
conceivably have been amused by the film’s skilful wordplay and subtle surrealist elements.
© James Travers 2002
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