contemporary world cinema for salmon arm |
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The Girl From Monaco (La Fille de Monaco)
Country: France
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No matter how old, successful or powerful you are, love and sex can still make a complete fool out of you, under the right circumstances. This truth plays out often enough in public life, and it is the subject of The Girl from Monaco , a slightly comic, romantic thriller from director Anne Fontaine. Bertrand, (Fabrice Luchini), a smooth, powerful defense attorney, confident and well-known, is hired for a difficult case. The millionaire widow, Edith Lasalle, (Stephane Audran) is on trial for murder in Monaco, charged with killing a reputed member of the Russian mafia, and she refuses to utter a single word in her defense. From the day he arrives in Monaco, Bertrand finds himself shadowed by Zem (Christophe Abadi), a tall, dark young man in a black suit and tie, hired as a bodyguard to stay with him at all times. Here is a nice pairing of opposites, an odd couple, if you will. Bertrand is quick, loquacious, cerebral, and Zem is watchful, terse and elemental. The title character, Audrey (Louise Bourgoin) has a beauty and energy that are both unsettling. The lawyer first sees Audrey on a news show, doing the weather report for a local TV station. Later, when he happens to meet her, she immediately takes an interest in this man twice her age. She's friendly, flirty, engaging, invited, and he is, by turns, alarmed and delighted. She is either the best or worst possible thing that could happen to a middle-aged guy. This film creates an inviting world for the viewer. Monaco, as presented here, is a mix of opulent splendor and small-town coziness with a lively nightlife. “Audrey is Bourgoin's first screen role—an audacious debut in a notable, worthwhile picture.” Sfgate.com |
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