Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by mr grits (A) on June 03, 2006 at 21:43:55

France 2003

Fanny Ardant is married to Depardieu in a marriage she suspects is failing due to his philandering ways. Confronted, he admits affairs have happened and Ardant takes it to heart. She soon recruits Beart, a daytime makeup counter girl/nightime hostess and hooker, to tempt her husband to see if he will take the bait. Beart gets back to her and admits Gerard took advantage of their "chance" meeting that ended in consumation. Ardant then hires Beart to continue their "affair" with Ardant footing the bill so she can control the action and hear every detail of their time together. Their strange relationship developes into an even more strange girl-girl friendship thing based on Beart's steamy, graphic descriptions of her romps with Depardieu.

Ardant plays a near brilliant role of the intelligent, tortured wife with a smooth, cat-like demeanor. Beart does well as the tart and Depardieu is nothing more than a human sketch of a husband under suspicion but manages to do it splendily.

An interesting film and, IMO, worth a watch for Ardant's performance.

Ex nihilo, nihil fit . . .