“My Afternoons with Margueritte,” starring Gerard Depardieu,is a French feel-good movie about a middle-aged, and often outspoken lout, who encounters an elderly intellectual (97-year-old Gisele Casadesus) in the park. They are lonely souls who find, in each other, kindred spirits. And although there’s predictability in the story, it’s still heartwarming to watch a man, with the help of a caring individual and a good book, move from ignorance to knowledge and from the malice he was raised in to self-confidence. Director Jean Becker showcases strong performances from Depardieu and Casadesus.
The overweight Germain (Depardieu) meets Margueritte one sunny afternoon on a park bench as they watch the pigeons and they become fast friends. Soon Margueritte is introducing the uneducated Germain to such highbrow literature as Albert Camus’ ThePlague. Though Germain calls himself a loser, he has a lot going for him. He’s gentle, compassionate, reads the dictionary to his cat and has a sexy young (perhaps too young) girlfriend, bus driver Annette (Sophie Guillemin). In flashbacks, we learn more about his dysfunctional family. His mother continually humiliated him as a child as did his teacher and he never knew his father. Plus his mother lives next door to him now and she still yells and berates him. “My Afternoons with Margueritte” is sentimental, but it clearly shows about how a chance encounter can have unexpected, although positive, consequences. Subtitles. 9/16/11
2 comments:
I love these types of subjects in movies. They leave you with a warm and cozy feeling. Plus all
the better for being in French!!! Vive la vie!
G'anne
"My Afternoons with Margueritte" leaves you feeling good, like visiting a valued friend. Plus the script, although predictable, has some depth. This movie is certainly better than a lot of US releases.
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