leplatypus
As i liked miss Dequenne in "Rosetta" a long time ago upon recommendation of a Greek friend, i picked this movie. But as her filmography was just beginning, i didn't get a lot of choices either.Actually, i realized that this movie could pass for my future as it tells the story of a sad mature single man in Paris. Outside his work, he has a very limited social life. His decision to hire a help woman leads him to find and use his love box and find happiness again.This speaks to me and thus the movie become personal. This was my town (paris), my life (loner), my trait (grumpy) but this was also my heart (generous). I think it was a great plot to have a break in country because it brings more light and more shine in their romance.A good french film, albeit it is forbidden for deaves with its lack of subtitles and the piano soundtrack is really horrible!
aglaececile
This movie has a light plot and lightly written characters: a middle-class neurotic-grumpy-artist falling in love with his young-trashy-placid housemaid. There is a very fine line between lightness and shallowness and that movie can't avoid falling into clichés, especially regarding the world outside the two main characters (like: the ex wife sleeping with the best friend). But the actors Emilie Dequenne and Jean-Pierre Bacri are just so generous towards their characters that they make them real, and utterly lovable. They are captivating and make that little unpretentious movie an enchanting delight.
writers_reign
Yet another small gem from that great year of French pics 2002. The talent is out of the right bottle too if anybody asks you, writer director Claude Berri and male lead Jean-Pierre Bacri, no slouch as a writer himself. To a certain extent is IS a male fantasy with Emillie Duquenne all but throwing herself at Bacri who has to be twice her age at least. But, as others have pointed out in these boards Bacri is basically decent and certainly wasn't looking for a May-December affair only for someone to police his apartment. For reasons of her own Duquenne developed what seemed to be genuine hots for him and naturally he's not going to turn down an attractive young girl. There's no special insight nor is any attempted, it's just a record of a brief fling in which nobody really gets hurt and we get to see some pleasant Parisian locations and listen to some pleasing music. Lemon soufflé anyone.
cestmoi
A tender, surprising little film with superb performances, fine writing, good filmic qualities, and a superb music script, Une Femme... touches the veiwer, provides laughs, allows self-recognition, and shows the relative maturity of the experienced against the unintended heartlessnes of the young in a sophisitcated society. Very French. The man is intellectually prepared but still has to deal with the emotions of loss, despite the utterly ill-suitedness of his new love. The girl's neediness for approval and "love" demands his response, to which his kind and needy heart does what we expect.A perfect slice of life as has defined French film for so long. Happily. And well. Chapeaux
AD
