Country: FR/BEL
Technical: col/2.35:1 115m
Director: Stéphanie Di Giusto
Cast: Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Benôit Magimel, Benjamin Biolay
Synopsis:
In Brittany during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, a farmer marries his daughter to an indebted war veteran. She does, however, suffer from a rare genetic condition that leaves the marriage unconsummated for a long time, even as it raises the business prospects of the husband's cafe.
Review:
This tender and compassionate film packs a lot into the story of France's famous bearded lady, Rosalie Deluc. Understandably it takes us inside the soul of the hapless child, who has a gift for relating to other hapless children, and who wears her difference with pride, determined that it should not dominate her life. Phrases such as, 'It's hard for any woman' and 'We are all different' make clear the inclusive stance of the film, but are not rammed home. What it is not is a story of a triumphant theatrical career stemming from the postcard-formed intimations of commercialism; in the end, intolerance regrettably wins out over acceptance, at least as far as the community is concerned, hinting at other contemporary manifestations of self-harm and exclusion. The landowner's interest in Magimel's character seems motivated by more than financial matters, but this also goes unexplored. What remains is a radiant, and sensitively supported central performance, and poetically evocative work from the cinematography and music departments (even though Tavener and Barber were not nineteenth century composers).
Country: FR/BEL
Technical: col/2.35:1 115m
Director: Stéphanie Di Giusto
Cast: Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Benôit Magimel, Benjamin Biolay
Synopsis:
In Brittany during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, a farmer marries his daughter to an indebted war veteran. She does, however, suffer from a rare genetic condition that leaves the marriage unconsummated for a long time, even as it raises the business prospects of the husband's cafe.
Review:
This tender and compassionate film packs a lot into the story of France's famous bearded lady, Rosalie Deluc. Understandably it takes us inside the soul of the hapless child, who has a gift for relating to other hapless children, and who wears her difference with pride, determined that it should not dominate her life. Phrases such as, 'It's hard for any woman' and 'We are all different' make clear the inclusive stance of the film, but are not rammed home. What it is not is a story of a triumphant theatrical career stemming from the postcard-formed intimations of commercialism; in the end, intolerance regrettably wins out over acceptance, at least as far as the community is concerned, hinting at other contemporary manifestations of self-harm and exclusion. The landowner's interest in Magimel's character seems motivated by more than financial matters, but this also goes unexplored. What remains is a radiant, and sensitively supported central performance, and poetically evocative work from the cinematography and music departments (even though Tavener and Barber were not nineteenth century composers).
