Tout feu, tout flamme

The École polytechnique alumni Pauline Valance works as an assistant to the Minister of the Economy, Finances and Industry and single-handily supports her family. Everything goes on as usual, until sudden comeback of Victor – the ne'er-do-well dad. Pauline treats him with a cynical suspicion. Her suspicions are realized when Victor makes grandmother to sign a power of attorney certificate and sells the family flat. Driven by animalistic rage, Pauline, along with gangsters, chases her father to the French-Swiss border.

It is not widely known, that Isabelle Adjani has started her career as a comedy actress. Into the troupe of the Comedie-Francaise The Actress has played in classical French comedies. Despite the fact, that Isabelle Adjani has earned her place in the Pantheon after «The Story of Adelie H.». After that, The Actress has been always admired and worshipped for her dramatic roles; nevertheless, she had also sometimes played in cute comedies.

In «Tout feu, tout flamme» Isabelle Adjani shows us a variety of persons: the Princess of Darkness, secretly ruling the French and European economy; the sweet girl, who got to take care of her family; the raging monster, who is ready cut anybody’s throat and so on.

Yves Montand looks good as a ne'er-do-well dad, whose business schemes are always goes belly-up. Actor uses his natural charm and brings comedy relief to the film; the most hilarious scene was the Chinese scene.

Jean-Paul Rappeneau, the director of Von Voyage, mixes genres: comedy; father-daughter drama; gangster film and melodrama. The main theme of this film is the father-daughter conflict, spiced by a comedy sauce.

«Tout feu, tout flamme» is a very cute comedy with a good Isabelle Adjani-Yves Montand acting duo. All those who love French cinema, and especially Isabelle Adjani fans, should immediately watch this film.

7,5/10 

Toxic Affair

I think I have a cancer!

After "Camille Claudel" Isabelle Adjani has stopped her acting career for five years. She has returned from her «vacation» by acting in "Toxic Affair" – another forgotten Adjani’s film (along with Tout feu, tout flame, Antonieta, L'année prochaine... si tout va bien and some other).

Since abandoning her modeling career, Penelope constantly throws herself out of the frying-pan into the fire. She has writing ambitions, but doesn’t have any ideas about what to write, cries at the psychiatrist office, argues with her mother. One night, she drives her boyfriend Georges so mad that he breaks-up with her. After that, Penelope completely loses her sanity and storms her girlfriend’s Sophie apartment. For the next 48 hours, Penelope tries to cope with her loss by different methods: the failed suicide attempt, the visit to the African-French extrasensory and so on and so on.

Penelope is the quintessential drama queen. Everyone, at least once, have met a female who constantly writes or talks about her writing ambitions which are stopped by a lack of time; about their contradictions and wish to hide in the monastery; who tries to hide their infantilism by constant talking about their tough childhood. I think cynics would seriously consider mercy killing as viable option for Penelope.

Toxic Affair would be stupid and boring if it wasn’t for one person - Isabelle Adjani. The Actress completely steals the show by her magnificent acting. She proves that for the real actress a five year break means nothing. Isabelle Adjani truly captures all hysterics, mood swings, incoherence and egoism of Penelope. The Adjani’s facial expression is superb, as in «The Story of Adelie H.», you could even call this film «The Story of Adelie H. Ultra Light».

The supporting cast was also good. Michel Blanc portrayed a suicide-fixed loser; Fabrice Luchini hilariously trolls Penelope and Clémentine Célarié portrays Penelope’s girlfriend, who sometimes wants to dump her in the Seine.

Toxic Affair is the perfect example how one great actress could turn stupid film into something watchable and interesting. If you an Adjani’s fan, watch it.

7/10 (+1 for Adjani by applying the legal principle «Any reasonable doubt shall be interpreted in favor of the defendant»)

Bon Voyage!

Comédie-Française!

In the June of 1940 the Maginot Line has been crashed. All Parisians are running to Bordeaux: the government ministers, the scientists, the criminals, the aristocracy, the artists and the German spies. In a span of a few days, the destiny of France will be decided and, meanwhile, the people are trying to figure their way out…

One of the screenwriters – Patrick Modiano – has already written in 1974 the screenplay for Louis Malle «Lacomb Lucien». Back in 1974, this film exploded because it showed the true face of a French society during World War II. Patrick Modiano, in collaboration with four screenwriters, returned to this theme in 2003 and had chosen the most unbelievable genre – a comedy.

If «Lacomb Lucien» was a portart of the French society as the whole, «Bon Voyage!» ridicules the French ruling class. Practically all of the French higher society shown as a bunch of indifferent people, who cares only how to get to Hotel «Splendid». The aristocrats, the government ministers, the business people are even secretly happy about an armistice. It would allow them to come back to Paris and «with Germans we will learn to cooperate».

Under such circumstances, the most unlikely kind of people could become heroes: the criminals, who ran away from a jail and who prevent Germans from obtaining the nuclear bomb. One of the main heroes – an aspiring writer, who was imprisoned because of his love – who got to Bordeaux to sort some thing out with his love. Nevertheless, circumstances forces him to take a direct part into the future of France.

The film got a superb acting for the main and supporting cast alike.

To the most of the heroines, created by Isabelle Adjani, you feel compassion, sympathy; they could touch even the most cynical hearts. The Actress had brilliantly portrayed the greatest women in history: Adelie Hugo, Emily Bronte, Antonieta Rivas Mercado, Camille Claudel, Margarite de Valois. This time Isabelle Adjani uses her splendid talent and magic to create the quintessence of the talentless actress and a truly despicable character. You could even say that Viviane Denvers is anti-Isabelle Adani, If Isabelle Adjani is a great actress and beautiful woman, Viviane Denvers is the third-rate actress with a cute face.

Viviane Denvers is ready to go to bed with anyone who would provide a boost for career, pay for her and protect her. As Hendrik Hoefgen from «Mephisto», Viviane has sold her soul for the cheap glory. In the world of Viviane Denvers there is no place for such words as dignity, loyalty and love. She is ready to set up the person, who truly loves her, and abandon him, like any other useless lover. All her charm is the combination of a third-rate acting: the theatrical crying, the rolling eyes and the constant talking about her sad life. During the course of this film, Viviane loses the last remains of her dignity and she realizes too late that there is no way back. Isabelle Adjani has brilliantly portrayed Viviane’s nullity. You don’t feel any compassion towards her and the final scene clearly shows her future.

Other actors were also brilliant. Gérard Depardieu as the corrupt minister. Peter Coyote as a German spy with the mephistophelean charm to whom Viviane «sells her soul». Virginie Ledoyen as an idealistic young girl, loyal to France and science. Grégori Derangère as an aspiring writer, who becomes a hero. In addition, the legends of French cinema Aurore Clément and Edith Scob has created episodic memorable characters.

Enclosing, let me say that in the June of 1940 comedy, spy flick, melodrama, drama and war movie has met in Bordeaux and the meeting was splendid!

9/10