Already awarded the prestigious Prix Louis Delluc as best French film
of the year 1997 and a firm favourite for the Césars in Paris at
the end of this month, Alain Resnais’ On connaît la chanson is a
delightful divertissement of contemporary urbanites running in circles
round each other’s hopes and desires. Their deceits and disillusions are
expressed by judicious extracts from popular French songs – perfectly lip-synched
to the soundtrack – ranging from Josephine Baker, Dalida and Piaf to Charles
Aznavour, Johnny Halliday and – in an exquisite piece of double irony –
Jane Birkin who briefly appears as lover, travelling Eurostar and who voices
herself.
Resnais regulars Sabine Azéma and Pierre Arditi (who competed
in Berlin in Smoking/No Smoking in 1994) play the central couple, Odile
and Claude, who are apparently happily married. Odile’s sister Camille
(Agnès Jaoui), a post-graduate student who guides tourists around
the French capital, is being effortlessly courted by debonair-but-devious
estate agent Marc (Lambert Wilson, effortlessly exuding élan) and
by Marc’s depressive employee Simon (André Dussollier), who moonlights
as a writer of radio plays.
The songs contrast or comment on the character’s real thoughts in tones
that range from the romantic to the outrageous. «I am a great admirer
of the British writer Dennis Potter – to whom the film is dedicated,»
explains Resnais. «And I screened for the actors scenes from his
TV plays, in some of which the characters burst, from time to time, into
popular songs to playback. What concerns me is the theme of outward appearances,
with which we clothe our entire, inner lives.»
The music brings echoes, pertinent and impertinent, to the situations
in which the central characters find themselves, and they give the audience
a melodic mélange that exhilarates and, finally, is quite touching
too. Do you know this song? Phillip Bergson
Synopsis
Simon loves Camille. Camille has an on-off relationship with Marc. Marc wants to sell an apartment to Odile, Camille's sister. Odile is crazy about the apartment, even though her husband Claude is not - and he also doesn't like it when Odile's old friend Nicolas shows up out of the blue. Then Nicolas becomes Simon's intimate French doyen Alain Resnais (last seen in competition in 1994 with Smoking/Non Smoking) uses the trials and tribulations of love, longing, frustration in relationships and a craving for life - the same old song, in other words - as a foil for an exhilaratingly ironic and philosophical comedy of manners. What's more, it is all carried out in a charming fashion, with the protagonists bursting into song at any given moment. The voices used range from Edith Piaf to Charles Aznavour and Johnny Halliday, not only bringing French musical history to life but adding a deep humanity to the characters, which counterbalances wonderfully the ordinariness of their seemingly unique feelings.
(Dir:) Alain Resnais (Scr): Agnès Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Bacri
(Cast): Pierre Arditi, Sabine Azema, Jean-Pierre Bacri, André Dussollier,
Agnès Jaoui, Lambert Wilson (Running time): 120 Minutes
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