A bittersweet and atypical love story between Irene, a comedienne in her 40s, traveling through the north of France with her one-woman show Sale Affaire (Dirty Business), and Dries, a youngish vagabond who becomes smitten with her and her show. Despite regular cell phone reminders that she has a husband and child waiting at home, Irene is nonetheless charmed by the attention of her ardent, cheerful and tender admirer.
It's a bountiful showcase for Moreau, whose lopsided, squinty beauty grows on you just as it grows on the drifter who eagerly volunteers from the audience each night.
Graced with a magnetic lead performance by Yolande Moreau, this French-Belgian movie follows the road tour of a middle-aged solo comedienne through northern France.
This attempt at quirkiness works and doesn't work. The story is about a comediennes life on the road(based on the film's star Yolande Moreau's experiences as a traveling peformer in the 1980's)who becomes romantically involved with a member of her audience. The movie works when the lead is on stage doing her standup
routine, because it looked interesting and fun. She wears a weird face mask, has bloodstained arms, shoots a water pistol at the audience and tells a tale of crime committed against a lover. That is interesting. Unfortuately, the romance which is the centerpiece of the movie. The acting is good, but I don't know enough about Moreau's character before she meets her romantic interest, so when she comes out of her shell to start a relationship with this guy, so much remains a mystery. We know more about her stage persona than the real person. It could have been much better.
March 31, 2011
simon modica
LOVED it. Wonderful lead actress, a woman with talent that she has developed, a mature, accomplished woman. Their romance touches the heart. Not a movie for folks who need a lot of action or plot. For people who love to watch people, it's the best.
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