THE SINGER. Dir. Xavier Giannoli. 2006

Image result for movie images the singer cecile de france

Desperately slow moving focus on Alain (Depardieu) and Marion (Cecile de France), with the camera lingering particularly lovingly on the latter. Her beautiful eyes are almost spellbinding but that doesn’t make for enough of a story. Alain is a singer and the cheesy material and excruciating lyrics are difficult to sit through. The film quality is grainy which makes it look like a home movie but does add to the seventies, downbeat, dance hall atmosphere.

However, this simple drama about an older, fading, local celebrity, falling for a young, enigmatic woman is touching at times, mortifying at others, and Alain’s dogged pursuit of the obviously reluctant Marion is embarrassing. You just want to tell him to stop it and leave her alone. She is deeply troubled, suffering from a recent relationship break-up, and hardly ready to be wooed and won by an older, overweight man. Alain persists, is rejected, then seemingly toyed with as Marion develops an affection for him.

Both characters are vulnerable and rather tragic; both are likeable and recognisable. The relationship Alain has with his ex-wife is harder to understand. She is now his manager and appears to play the role of his mother whilst resenting his affairs.

Depardieu and de France play their roles with great sensitivity to win our sympathies. Their lives are disappointing but they’re bravely making the best of it, and the film never descends into self-pity. The Singer was nominated for the Golden Palm in Cannes and has become popular in France.

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