Colette Movies
Colette was a French screenwriter. She got her start as a film critic around 1916 and then became famous for her novels. As a screenwriter, she would usually adapt her own work either by herself or in conjunction with another. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Stephen Frears, the director who bolstered his international reputation with his Choderlos de Laclos adaptation Dangerous Liaisons (1988), returns to the annals of period intrigue over 20 years later with this melodrama, which reunites him with Liasons scripter Christopher Hampton and star Michelle Pfeiffer. An adaptation of Colette's 1920 novel of the same name, the tale unfurls in late 19th century Paris -- La Belle Époque -- where numerous courtesans (or female companions of noblemen who occupied the royal courts) have worked their way up through the ranks of high society. Two retired courtesans, Charlotte Peloux (Kathy Bates) and Lea (Michelle Pfeiffer), meet for some routine gossip; Lea then meets Charlotte's hedonistic playboy son, nicknamed "Chéri" (Rupert Friend), and a passionate, erotic affair blossoms for the next six years between Lea and Chéri. Eventually, Charlotte makes an aggressive attempt to interfere with the situation by setting up an arranged marriage between Chéri and the virginal 18-year-old Edmée (Felicity Jones), the daughter of another ex-courtesan, Marie-Laure (Iben Hjejle). Lea feels irritated, and responds by seeking out young male lovers during a vacation in Biarritz, but the attached Chéri is not far behind, and in seemingly no time at all the two resume their bedroom liaisons. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates, (more)
Leslie Caron plays Gigi, a young girl raised by two veteran Parisian courtesans (Hermione Gingold and Isabel Jeans) to be the mistress of wealthy young Gaston (Louis Jourdan). When Gaston falls in love with Gigi and asks her to be his wife, Jeans is appalled: never has anyone in their family ever stooped to anything so bourgeois as marriage! Weaving in and out of the story is Maurice Chevalier as an aging boulevardier who, years earlier, had been in love with Gingold's character. Chevalier gets most of the best Lerner & Loewe tunes, including Thank Heaven for Little Girls, I'm Glad I'm Not Young Any More, and his matchless duet with Gingold, I Remember it Well. Caron's best number (dubbed by Betty Wand) is The Night They Invented Champagne while Jourdan gets the honor of introducing the title song. Filmed on location in Paris, Gigi won several Oscars, including Best Picture; it also represented the successful American movie comeback of Chevalier, who thanks to this film was "forgiven" for his reputed collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, (more)
- 1956
Like so many previous cinemadaptations of Colette's novels, Mitsou was directed by Jacqueline Audry. The title character, played by Daniele Delorme, is a virginal chorus dancer who falls in love with jaded, middle-aged roue Duroy-Leong (Ferdinand Gravey). Mitsou becomes the older man's mistress, a decision she begins to regret when handsome young lieutenant Bleu (Francoise Guerin) enters her life. Considered daringly frank in its time, the film seems a model of restraint when seen today. Odette Laure has some of the best lines as Mitsou's worldly-wise confidante. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danièle Delorme
- 1954
La Bie en Herbe (The Flowering Herb) was the second of Autant-Lara's two directorial efforts for 1953. Philippe (Pierre-Michele Beck) is 16; Vinea (Nicole Berger) is 15. Friends since infancy, Philippe and Vinea have always regarded themselves as brother and sister. But as adolescence segues into puberty, the two youngsters fall in love. Though their parents are oblivious to their growing ardor, an older woman (Edwidge Feuillere) sums up the situation. She takes Philippe under her wing and initiates him sexually, so that Vinea's virtue will remain intact -- at least for the time being. When released in America in 1954, La Bie en Herbe was rechristened The Game of Love. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edwige Feuillère, Nicole Berger, (more)
- 1952
The Seven Deadly Sins is a portmanteau film (a la Quartet and O. Henry's Full House) assembled by some of the biggest talents in the Italian and French film industry. The film's six sections (one containing two sins) are designed by separate titles, which should be self-explanatory. "Avarice and Anger" stars its director, Eduardo DeFilippo, as a miser who comes to grief. "Lust," directed by Yves Allegret, contrasts minor flirtation with major sexual passion. "Pride," directed by Claude Autant-Lara, details the fall from grace of a snooty mother and daughter. The other episodes include "Sloth," directed by Jean Dreville; "Envy," directed by Roberto Rosselini; and "Gluttony," directed by Carlo Rim. An eighth sin, directed by Georges Lacombe and starring Gerard Philipe, is thrown in as a comic bonus. Seven Deadly Sins is a lot of fun, though each of the individual episodes could use a little work in the continuity department. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Philipe, Viviane Romance, (more)
- 1950
The titular Minne, played by Daniele Delorme, is a starry-eyed young girl whose notions about romance have been culled from cheap novels. Upon marrying her handsome cousin, Minne is immediately disillusioned by her new husband's philandering and inattentiveness. Deciding "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," Minne wearily embarks on a series of desultory love affairs. Few of the male characters are treated sympathetically in this film, with the exception of the likeable ageing rake portrayed by Jean Tissier. Minne, l'Ingenue Libertine was based on a novel by Colette, of Gigi fame (Incidentally, the 1949 film version of Gigi also starred Daniele Delorme). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danièle Delorme, Frank Villard, (more)
- 1949
This French film version of Colette's best-selling novel Gigi predated both the 1950 stage adaptation and the 1958 Hollywood musical of the same name. Set in fin de siecle Paris, The story is the familiar one about 16-year-old Gigi (Daniele Delorme), a waif-like creature who is trained to become a Parisian courtesan by her worldly wise Aunt, Mme. Alvarez (Yvonne de Bray). The girl's first assignment is to serve as the "arm ornament" of wealthy playboy Gaston (Frank Villard), whose previous experiences with women have turned him into something of misogynist. When Gigi falls genuinely in love with Gaston, Mme. Alvarez is appalled: after all, true love is bad for business. Gaston is likewise taken aback by Gigi's devotion -- until he realizes with startling suddenness that he has fallen for her. Long unavailable in the U.S. due to the Oscar-winning MGM musical remake, Gigi happily resurfaced on American cable television in the mid-1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvonne de Bray, Danièle Delorme, (more)
- 1949
Thanks to the popularity of the 1948 cinemazation of Gigi, the "fin de siecle" novels of Colette suddenly became hot properties in the French cinema. Julie de Carneilhan stars Edwige Feuillere in the title role. A divorcee, Julie de Carneilhan finds herself ardently pursued by a roue (Pierre Brasseur) and by her more reliable younger cousin (Jacques Dumesil). Like most of Colette's works, Julie de Carneilhan talks a great deal about sex and sexuality, but shows very little. The film's preponderance of dialogue, witty though it may have been, left American audiences dissatisfied. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Brasseur, Edwige Feuillère, (more)
- 1940
Based on a novel by Colette, Claudine stars Blanchette Brunoy as the title character. The 16-year-old heroine finds herself the romantic bone of contention between two of her schoolteachers. Eventually tiring of the tug of war, Claudine finds happiness in the arms of handsome young doctor Dubois (Pierre Brasseur). The "naughtier" aspects of the Colette original were apparently dispensed with long before Claudine went before the cameras. As a result, this was one of the few French films of the early 1940s that could be released in the U.S. with virtually no censorial cuts at all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blanchette Brunoy, Max Dearly, (more)
- Add Charlie Ahearn: Artist Portrait Videos to QueueAdd Charlie Ahearn: Artist Portrait Videos to top of Queue
Charles Ahearn: Artist Portrait Videos collects a number of pieces Ahearn created that showcased other artists and those close to the man. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
