News location:

Canberra Today 25°/29° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Review / ‘Folies Bergere’ (M) *** and a half

Folies Bergere movieMARC Fitoussi’s agreeable film arrives here with a minor identity crisis. “La Ritournelle” in its native French, in the US it’s “Paris Follies”. None of the three is totally appropriate.

On a Normandy farm, Brigitte (Isabelle Huppert) and Xavier (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), both in their 50s, are successful breeders of Charolais cattle, winning prizes with their splendid bull Big Jim. Their two children are independent adults. Their lives combine hard work with pride in their achievements. Their togetherness is comfortable rather than passionate.

Brigitte’s clothes all have high necklines. The rash on her upper chest embarrasses her.

She goes to Paris, mainly to see a dermatologist, also shopping, sightseeing, having lunch with her sister. When she pops out for a smoke on the balcony of her hotel room, an alpha male on his balcony a floor above gently chides her. Jesper (Michael Nyqvist) from Denmark is in Paris at a congress of periodontists.

Fitoussi’s screenplay delivers gratifying credibility and tension. Late at night, Jesper helps Brigitte overcome the embarrassment of her rash. Seeing the pair together Xavier keeps his cool.

Many film romances end with a dramatic crescendo expressed in a cliché – the close-up kiss. Brigitte’s sister has told her of effective eczema and psoriasis treatments at an Israeli health centre using mudpacks and bathing in the Dead Sea, where a visually and emotionally satisfying conclusion unfolds – adults behaving maturely. That more than compensates for any identity crisis.

At Palace Electric

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Dougal Macdonald

Dougal Macdonald

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Music

Cunio takes top job at NZ School of Music

Immediate past head of the ANU School of Music, Kim Cunio, is to become head of school at Te Kōki, the NZ School of Music, part of the Victoria University of Wellington, reports HELEN MUSA.

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews