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Bookmark this pageMy Afternoons with Marguerite (2010)
Director: Jean Becker
Movie review
From Time Out London
This French film doesn’t so much ladle on the syrup as pressure-hose it towards anything and anyone within the frame. Jean Becker’s twee Gallic two-hander sees odd-jobbing rube Germain (Gérard Depardieu, looking like a hay bale in dungarees) receive a series of literary life lessons from little old lady, Margueritte (95-year-old Gisèle Casadesus), who he meets while counting pigeons in the park. Bullied by his friends and his mildly daffy mother, Germain overcomes his grim lot with a bit of hasty self-education and a newfound love and understanding of the written word. It’s basically ‘Educating Rita’, if Rita were French, rotund and Forrest Gump.As with his does-what-it-says-on-the-tin previous film, ‘Conversations with my Gardener’, Becker whips up a friendly dialogue between two characters who are unconcerned with what society might say about their pairing. There is a sweet chemistry between Depardieu and Casadesus, but their wry interactions are lost within a rambling, frothy non-story that aims squarely for the heart over the head. A score of comic reliefs fill out much of the supporting cast, their main function being to comment on Germain’s late blossoming in case we’d missed it. It’s harmless fun, for sure, but Becker takes that remit as justification not to delve too deeply into the forms of depression and loneliness that can’t be relieved by, say, a heart-to-heart with a cat or – as is often the case – ‘encore un petit verre de vin blanc!’
Author: David Jenkins
Time Out London Issue 2099: 17 – 11 November, 2011
User reviews of this film
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- Dori maeir said...
- Posted on Oct 17 2011 15:44 Beautiful story. I just love it
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- Mike said...
- Posted on Oct 16 2011 13:59 Loved it. Depardieu was superb. Moving and inspiring. Don't be deterred by cynical critics. This is a feel-good movie with intelligence.
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- Clint said...
- Posted on Oct 04 2011 22:21 My wife talked me into seeing this film and I went thinking this would just be another foreign language, boring chick-flick. Not so. I found myself engrossed in these characters and appreciated the opposites attract aspect of the film. I left feeling pretty happy about the story and was equally delighted at its brevity--only an 1 1/2 hours.
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- Clint said...
- Posted on Oct 04 2011 22:21 My wife talked me into seeing this film and I went thinking this would just be another foreign language, boring chick-flick. Not so. I found myself engrossed in these characters and appreciated the opposites attract aspect of the film. I left feeling pretty happy about the story and was equally delighted at its brevity--only an 1 1/2 hours.
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- Bev said...
- Posted on Jul 13 2011 06:45 If you have the ability to read between the lines, there are many stories in this brilliant film.Wonderful characters to support the main actors. The only film I would give a 5+ in a long while and will see it again.
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- peter said...
- Posted on May 07 2011 00:20 loved this film,dont listen too jerk offs,shite review,its a gem:) go marguerite
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- Annie said...
- Posted on Nov 22 2010 15:19 Depardieu is a joy to watch. Don't forget this actor has played Cyrano and Marat amongst many other roles - a technically superb actor. This film desreves more than 2 stars!
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- Lynndy said...
- Posted on Nov 15 2010 08:25 Yes- it's simplistic and mawkish if that's how you want to view it but I thoroughly enjoyed it and came out of the film theatre feeling uplifted and happy.
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- jules said...
- Posted on Nov 11 2010 15:54 Nice film, you feel happy to have spent some time with those actors.
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- Mike said...
- Posted on Nov 09 2010 19:00 "It’s basically ‘Educating Rita’, if Rita were French, rotund and Forrest Gump." LOL. Now there's an image I won't be able to get out of my mind if I go see it.
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- Maya k said...
- Posted on Nov 05 2010 22:20 Great film
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Cast & crew
Director: Jean Becker
Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Gisèle Casadesus, Maurane full cast
Rated: 15
Duration: 82 mins
UK Release: Nov 12 2010
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