Mécaniques célestes (1995)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Fina Torres

Writers:

Yves Belaubre (co-adaptation)
Yves Belaubre (co-dialogue)
(more)

Release Date:

17 May 1995 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Ana bolts from her wedding altar and flies from Venezuela to Paris (in her wedding gown) to realize her dream of becoming a great opera star...

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Opera | Lesbian | Paris | Cinderella

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Ariadna Gil	...	Ana
Arielle Dombasle	...	Céleste
Evelyne Didi	...	Alcanie
Lluís Homar	...	Italo Medici
Frédéric Longbois	...	Armand
Hildegarde García Madriz	...	Toutou
Michel Debrane	...	Grigorief
Olivier Granier	...	Claude
Alma Rosa Castellanos	...	Lucila
Philippe Beautier	...	Hervé
Pedro De Llano	...	Marlano
Chantal Aimée	...	Tina
Dominique Abel	...	Gaby
Didier Azoulay	...	Pierre-Jean
Elsa Maurus	...	Ana (singing voice)
Jacky Nercessian	...	Monsieur Chatrain
Julien Bukowski	...	Policier en uniforme
Bruno Putzulu	...	Jeune policier
Bernard Pinet	...	Policier civil
Jean Abeillé	...	Police français
Sylvie Huguel	...	Madame Tronchet
Véronique Levy	...	La femme Indienne
Robert Delarue	...	Le maire
Rui Luís	...	Producteur 1
João D'Ávila	...	Producteur 2
Max Morel	...	Chauffeur à Paris
Thérèse Bourou	...	La secrétaire du théâtre
Dominique Sasson	...	Marchande de fleurs

Directed by
Fina Torres

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yves Belaubre		co-adaptation
Yves Belaubre		co-dialogue
Telsche Boorman		co-adaptation
Telsche Boorman		co-dialogue
Daniel Odier		writer (as Delacorta)
Chantal Pelletier		co-adaptation
Chantal Pelletier		co-dialogue
Corda Prunhuberleon		co-adaptation
Corda Prunhuberleon		co-dialogue
Blanca Strepponi		writer
Fina Torres		scenario

Produced by
Gerard Costa	....	executive producer
António da Cunha Telles	....	executive producer
Zimena Iribarren	....	executive producer
Fina Torres	....	producer

Original Music by
François Farrugia
Michel Musseau

Cinematography by
Ricardo Aronovich

Film Editing by
Christiane Lack
Catherine Trouillet

Production Design by
Claire Dague
Sandi Jelambi

Art Direction by
Benoît Barouh

Set Decoration by
Sébastien Monteux-Halleur

Costume Design by
Ariadna Papiò

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alain Olivieri	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Claude Bertrand	....	sound
Christophe Bourreau	....	foley artist
Thierry Lebon	....	sound re-recording mixer
Anne-Laure Lermyte	....	sound editor
Jacques Thomas-Gérard	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Eve Ramboz	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Hernán Toro	....	additional cinematographer

Editorial Department
Sylvie Lager	....	assistant editor
Frederique Veillard	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Frédéric Chaslin	....	musician: piano
Bruno Mercere	....	music mixer

Other crew
Vincent Garenq	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Bastille Films
• Canal+
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
• Club d'Investissement Média
• Da Fondo de Fomentos Cinematograficas de Venezuela
• Eurimages
• ING
• Ministère de la Culture de la Republique Française
• Miralta Films
• Mistral Films
• Panderadas C.A.
• Paradise Films
• Producciones Pandorados
• Sacem

Distributors

• Malofilm Distribution (Canada)
• October Films (1996) (USA) (subtitled)
• Sogepaq Distribución (Spain)
• Strand Releasing (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Celestial Clockwork (USA)
Mecánicas celestes (Spain)

Runtime:

Canada:83 min | UK:85 min

Country:

France | Belgium | Spain

Language:

French | Italian | Spanish | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:6 | Spain:T

Company:

Bastille Films

Quotes:

[Ana wants to sing something by Rossini]
Grigorief: No! No Italians here! Music is serious business!

Soundtrack:

Sin Té

A psychedelic whirl thru the Latin American world of Paris

Cannes Camera d'Or winning director, Fina Torres gives us one of the most eclectic, visually and ethnically rich takes of the Cinderella story ever, in a modern, realistic (I'm serious) setting. A hit at Sundance in '95, Ms. Torres announced here at its post-Sundance premiere, that the film had not only picked up US distribution, but remake rights had been bought by Disney. By all means, SEE THIS ONE. Don't wait for the Disney remake! A co-production in the broadest sense(Venezuelan-French-Belgian-Portuguese-Spanish), CELESTIAL CLOCKWORK, manages to add to this melange Cuban, Afro-Caribbean, Italian, gay, and operatic elements and characters. European stars, the French Arielle Dombasle(as Celeste) and the Spanish Ariadne Gil ("Cinderella") both showing off credible Latin American Spanish accents are excellent as the leading rivals.(The film also has extensive French and English dialogue.) Buy or see the movie for its visuals and hilarious plot, and don't forget the soundtrack (the first thing I bought), featuring some of the best Latin sounds of any movie this decade, not to mention the beautiful arias from the opera "La Cenerentola" (Cinderella) on which the movie is loosely based. The Ariadne Gil character is an opera singer, Arielle Dombasle's is a gorgeous techno-pop performer, while their entourage dances to salsa and party music. Sounds too far-fetched? It's not. It all makes sense and satifies all your senses. To round out its far-reaching cultural diversity, the film's Spanish speaking characters have a happy Hollywood ending, in fluent French.