Back for our 4th year as A Rave Review, we are happy to return to what we love best – watching movies. One of the most enjoyable films we have taken in over the years was a season opener for us – My Afternoons With Margueritte starring Gerard Depardieu.
My Afternoons is a love story to be sure. But at its core, not a romantic love story but one of the bond that is formed when two people ignore labels and stereotypes and allow themselves to enjoy and experience complete and total acceptance. Watching their relationship grow and invigorate their lives was a special experience and captured memorably by director Jean Becker.
Gerard plays Germain, a simple farmer, deprived of education and the love of his mother, badly scarred from a painful and abusive childhood. Surrounded by friends at night in the pub, and blessed with the love of a young woman (Sophie Guillemin), he continues to live in a trailer in the yard of his mother’s home and tend to the garden daily.
He spends afternoons on a park bench in the town center and watches the pigeons; only to discover one afternoon that 90 year old Margueritte ( Gisele Casidesus) also visits the bench daily and watches the pigeons – has even named them. This common pastime sparks a conversation that ignites a friendship that will change Germain’s and Margueritte’s lives forever.
Gisele Casidesus (Margueritte) has acted in over 70 films spanning almost 80 years. Depardieu has an equally impressive repertoire and is arguably one of France’s most decorated actors with 2 Cesar awards for best actor and a multitude of International awards. His career has been colorful and controversial to say the least, and since the mid 60’s he has acted in almost 200 films.
The film is in French with English subtitles, has a charming plot and will entertain most types of moviegoers.
A Rave Review gave this film a 4 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment