My Afternoons with Margueritte

2010
7.2| 1h22m| en
Details

An illiterate and lonely man bonds with an older and well-read woman.

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Also starring Maurane

Reviews

ManiakJiggy This is How Movies Should Be Made
Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
Married Baby Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
Stephanie There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
willcundallreview Quite often films like this can be seen as sickly and rather a bit much for those who want a more realistic plot as well. With this you can get that feeling of emotion that can feel a little showy, kind of like "look here we are trying so hard to make you feel all fuzzy", I'm not saying that is all together a bad thing but I do feel movies like that can get a little too seen before sometimes. The movie has a small cast in terms of main characters but that makes it much more personal and at times you can kind of connect to these French townsfolk and the entire goings on that happen. The plot is about a man named Germain who is a little on the less intelligent side but is a sweet man in ways and shows it in this film most whilst feeding his beloved pigeons in the park. Germain comes across an old lady who also feeds the pigeons and strikes up a nice little friendship where both tell each other of their lives and read to each other as well. Of course not all the plot is set in the park and between these two characters, Germain also has to contend with his less than loving mother and friends who often ridicule him for his less than smart remarks. I felt the story does go along nicely, yet again the sickly parts can clog up part of this small and light movie but in the end it isn't long enough to make me care about much of the more cheesy moments.Gerard Depardieu is Germain and he does a good job, he makes him exactly what he is meant to be, not too intelligent but caring, can get a little angry but at the same time wants to learn and better himself too. It is not only Depardieu who is good, Gisele Casadesus as the old lady and the name in the movie Margueritte is in fine form, she is acting here way into her 90's and really gives this her all and creates a likable character and a little lady who maybe could remind many of us of grandmas. I liked most of the cast as well but I also like that the main two are given a lot of time together, the movie never tries to make too much small talk with minor characters and so I felt it flows well for such a short film.Jean Becker directs and does a nice job; I felt he captured the right tone of the town used and gets that French film kind of spirit really going. Becker co-writes as well and the script is really where a lot of the movie can feel overly sweet, the ending leaves a nice taste but boy just before that it made me think it was going to be a horrendous ending and too predictable, would have ruined the movie but luckily the guys behind this get it right. I must also mention the wonderful score which is not used a lot but when it is it's lovely and really brings out the best of the certain scenes involved. With this you can get that kind of award bait movie that really tries to either pull at the heart strings or make you laugh or sometimes both and this movie feels very much like that. I will say though that it is recommendable, it is layered in typical kind of plot but still wraps the whole thing up nicely and adds a nice little bow to this more than OK movie. Don't expect something amazing, this is good but far from sublime, still shows though the genuine skill that French cinema can produce and also that Depardieu is still going strongly as an actor.
John Raymond Peterson Depardieu is a very good actor, despite an eclectic string of characters he has played in recent times. One must consider his whole body of work, to recognize there was always the talent there, too often wasted on bad scripts and poor directing. After watching this movie, I won't be so quick to overlook more of his performances. He played with such convincing simplicity his role of Germain in the movie, I could not wait for the next scene and the next one after that. Okay the script and directing by Jean Becker is in no small way a big part of the story's appeal. Becker was born in this media and at 77 can still deliver quality work. Gisèle Casadesus in the role of Margueritte was perfect for the part; her character is the catalyst to a beautiful love story, a love of life and a life of love. Sophie Guillemin in the role of Annette, Germain's girlfriend and lover, had known the beautiful hidden side of her man, but it was Margueritte who triggered the blossoming poet in Germain. Indeed, you would not have expected the lead role of Germain to mature into a real poet, given his status in life and how practically all in his life treated and considered him an idiot (except Annette). The closing scene, Germain reads his poem of love to the late Margueritte; it's the sort of scene that will betray the romantic in all of us, okay in enough of us, to give hope to all women that there is such a thing as a loving man. This is a clear character development piece that will not fail to inspire and move the audience. You may even gage the loving factor of a person from his or her appreciation of this movie. I want to share the warmth this production made me feel by saying "Watch this movie".
MartinHafer Gérard Depardieu stars in this film as an oafish man named Germain. Germain is not a bad man--just a VERY socially awkward and uneducated man of about 60. When he happens to meet a very elderly woman, the title character played by Gisèle Casadesus, they strike up a very unlikely friendship. They both visit each other in the park and she reads to him--and from very difficult works such as a novel by Albert Camus. However, Germaine has some difficulty following her, as he's uneducated and practically illiterate. But, over time, he grows and becomes more self-confident--and really grows to love Margueritte. What comes next, I'll leave for you to see--I'd hate to spoil it, and there are so many wonderful and lovely twists and turns.While this is NOT a blockbuster sort of film packed with excitement, chases and sex, it is a magnificent little film if you are patient and give it a chance. The script is NOT what you would expect based on what I told you above--there are many unusual twists that threw me off guard. There also were MANY wonderfully touching moments that brought me to tears towards the end. Despite a VERY strong career with some magnificent films to his credit, this is my favorite Depardieu film--and I've seen far more than you'd ever expect from a non-Frenchman. There is a gentleness and depth that is captivating and the script gives him and other characters a lot of chance to explore their characters and act. The film also has some wonderful things to say about love that make it one of a kind. And, in a VERY odd way, the film is somewhat reminiscent, believe it or not, of "Harold and Maude"--though clearly "My Afternoons with Margueritte" is NOT a comedy and lacks the overall weirdness of "Harold and Maude". But, it more than makes up for it with charm. See this film! By the way, Casadesus was in her mid to late 90s when she made this film and she just celebrated her 98th birthday! I love that such a vibrant older actress hasn't just been left to rot and waste all her talents--and I hope to see more from her.
writers_reign Jean Becker is unquestionably a poet of rural France as time after time, film after film, he celebrates the hinterland in much the same way as Marcel Pagnol used to do. Above all - again like Pagnol - his characters have warmth, charm, heart - and those are only the heavies. This time around he has cast Gerard Depardiu as an illeterate oak though lovable with it. Although he has his share of friends in the rural community he is often the butt of their jokes but given the gorgeous much younger girlfriend he has acquired the laugh is surely on them. One day sitting on a park bench feeding pigeons he stumbles on a charming elderly lady whose idea of light reading is Camus' The Plague. They strike up a friendship and are soon meeting daily and Depardieu is absorbing culture by osmosis. That's pretty much it but it is done superbly not least by Giselle Casadesus, who really was born in 1914 or three years before Danielle Darrieux who is also still working. British reviewers seem to think Casadesus is a newcomer yet she has been working for years not least in Becker's Les Enfants du Marais and Valerie Lemercier's Palais Royal. This is a wonderful film that I can't recommend highly enough.