La Dentellière
1977 Drama / Romance   

 

Review
This well-observed and genuinely moving film from Swiss-born director Claude Goretta makes a pessimistic statement of the inability of love to surmount societal divisions.  The disintegration of the beautiful relationship between the young couple François and Béatrice when they realise their mutual incompatibility is handled with great subtlety and credibility, providing a genuinely tormenting experience for the viewer.  The film is laced with poignant significance and never has to resort to stylish sentimentality to achieve its effect.  Goretta tells a simple story with feckless ease, yet it is a story that is difficult to forget.

Both lead actors, Yves Beneyton and Isabelle Huppert, deserve credit for their compelling performances, which display a maturity and self-awareness that is way beyond their years of experience.  Although just 22 when she made this film, Huppert is captivating as the quiet, repressed Béatrice, the first major role in a remarkable film career which would see her become one of the most highly regarded actresses in the world.

© James Travers 2000

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  Director: Claude Goretta
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Yves Beneyton, Florence Giorgetti, Annemarie Düringer, Renate Schroeter

Synopsis
During a visit to a Normandy seaside resort with her friend, Marylene, a fragile and solitary young woman named Béatrice is befriended by an arts student, François.  Despite their intellectual and class differences, the couple fall in love and share a flat together in Paris.  Whilst Béatrice is content to be in love, François becomes increasingly frustrated with her unwillingness to better herself...

Credits
  • Director: Claude Goretta
  • Script: Claude Goretta, based on a novel by Pascal Lainé
  • Photo: Jean Boffety
  • Music: Pierre Jansen
  • Cast: Isabelle Huppert (Pomme), Yves Beneyton (François), Florence Giorgetti (Marylène), Annemarie Düringer (Pomme’s mother), Renate Schroeter (François’ girlfriend), Michel de Ré (The painter), Monique Chaumette (La mère de François), Jean Obé (Le père de François), Christian Baltauss (Gérard), Christian Peythieu, Heribert Sasse, Jeanne Allard, Odile Poisson (La caisière), Gilberte Géniat, Sabine Azéma (Corinne)
  • Country: France
  • Language: French
  • Runtime: 107 min
  • Aka: The Lacemaker



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