February 26, 2010 4 p.m.
4:00-4:15 Opening remarks and introduction of first film
4:15-6:00 Fauteuils d’orchestre by Danièle THOMPSON
6:00-6:15 Discussion
Details
Director: Danièle THOMPSON
Writer(s): Danièle THOMPSON, Christopher THOMPSON
Stars: Valérie Lemercier, Cécile De France, Albert Dupontel, Claude Brasseur, Christopher Thompson, Sydney Pollack
Type: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Year: 2006
Rating: PG-13 for some strong language and brief sexuality
Length: 1h 46 min
Language(s): French, English
Filming Locations: 15, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, avenue Montaigne, Paris 8; Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France (studio); Hôtel Plaza-Athénée – 25 Avenue Montaigne, Paris 8; Salle des ventes Drouot-Montaigne – 15, Avenue Montaigne, Paris 8
Countries: France
Aspect Ratio: 2.35: 1
Synopsis
Oh, la France! Even before the words are articulated, our senses are invaded by sights, sounds, smells that make us nostalgic, and by images of quirky behavior of the French we know and love so much! La belle France: the country of good food, beautiful people, high fashion, and so much more! Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement of the capital city is the center of it all–art, theatre, haute couture, music, and big names. The drama unfolds as young Jessica, raised by her grandmother, arrives in Paris looking for a job. She lands one quickly at a café on Ave Montaigne called Bar des Théâtres where she encounters the bittersweet characters in this film, cherries atop an ice-cream sundae as it were, looking great sitting amid mounds of crème, but that not everyone wants to savour. It’s all about la crème de la crème!
Basic Information & Reviews
IMDB
Variety.com
Film-Forward.com
The Austin Chronicle
Eye for Film
Mulderville.net (in French)
NPR
FilmCritic.com
PressKit
Filmography: Danièle THOMPSON
Born in Monaco, Danièle Thompson comes from a family of film artists: her father was a director and mother an actress. Her son co-wrote the screenplay for this film with her, and her daughter is an actress. While she has numerous screenplays to her credit–notably La reine Margot (Queen Margot)–that date back to the 60′s, her entry into the world of directing occurred in the 1990′s including titles such as La Bûche (Season’s Greetings), Décalage horaire (Jet Lag) and more recently, Le code a changé (Change of Plans). Ms. Thompson is a professor at La Femis, École Nationale Supérieure des Métiers de l’Image et du Son (the national film school of France).
