Same Old Song (1997) On connaît la chanson (original title)

Director:

Alain Resnais

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Bacri
Agnès Jaoui

Release Date:

12 November 1997 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

Plot:

Odile is looking for a new, bigger apartment. Her younger sister Camille just completed her doctoral...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Singer | Bakery | Title From Song | Guilt

Awards:

10 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Pierre Arditi	...	Claude
Sabine Azéma	...	Odile Lalande
Jean-Pierre Bacri	...	Nicolas
André Dussollier	...	Simon
Agnès Jaoui	...	Camille Lalande
Lambert Wilson	...	Marc Duveyrier
Jane Birkin	...	Jane
Jean-Paul Roussillon	...	Father
Nelly Borgeaud	...	Doctor #3
Götz Burger	...	Von Choltitz
Jean-Pierre Darroussin	...	Young Man with Cheque
Charlotte Kady	...	Restaurant Customer
Jacques Mauclair	...	Doctor #1
Pierre Meyrand	...	Cafe Owner
Claire Nadeau	...	Female Guest
Dominique Rozan	...	Elderly Man
Jean-Chrétien Sibertin-Blanc	...	Young Fired Man
Bonnafet Tarbouriech	...	Doctor #2
Wilfred Benaïche	...	Restaurant Owner
Françoise Bertin	...	Little Lady on Tour
Robert Bouvier	...	Guest
Frédérique Cantrel	...	Female Guest
Jérôme Chappatte	...	Guest
Romaine De Nando	...	Nurse
Nathalie Jeannet	...	Female Guest
Delphine Quentin	...	Young Woman Kissing
Geoffroy Thiebaut	...	Marc's Colleague

Directed by
Alain Resnais

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Pierre Bacri
Agnès Jaoui

Produced by
Bruno Pésery	....	producer
Michel Seydoux	....	associate producer
Ruth Waldburger	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Bruno Fontaine

Non-Original Music by
Henri Christiné		(from aria "Dans la vie faut pas s'en faire" from opérette "Dédé")

Cinematography by
Renato Berta

Film Editing by
Hervé de Luze

Production Design by
Jacques Saulnier

Set Decoration by
Philippe Turlure

Costume Design by
Jackie Budin

Makeup Department
Thomas Nellen	....	hair stylist
Jacky Reynal	....	makeup artist (as Jackie Reynal)
Esme Sciaroni	....	makeup artist
Marianne Collette	....	makeup artist: crowd (uncredited)

Production Management
Eva Arnaud	....	unit manager
Didier Carrel	....	unit manager
Hélène Chalant	....	unit manager
Catherine Chouridis	....	production manager
Michel Imbert	....	assistant production manager
Pierre-Yves Le Stum	....	unit manager
Michael Meert	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Camille Lipmann	....	assistant director
Thierry Verrier	....	assistant director

Art Department
Bernard Bridon	....	property master: furniture
Roger Conil	....	construction manager
Jean-Claude Perchet	....	property master
Marc Pinquier	....	property master
Jacques Quinternet	....	property master
Philippe Turlure	....	set dresser
Thierry Verrier	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Denis Carquin	....	sound assistant
Olivier Dô Hùu	....	assistant sound mixer
Thomas Gastinel	....	playbacks
Marie Guesnier	....	sound technician
Michel Klochendler	....	sound editor
Jean-Pierre Laforce	....	sound mixer
Pierre Lenoir	....	sound
Jacques Lévy	....	post-synchronization
Laurent Lévy	....	foley artist

Camera and Electrical Department
André Bouladoux	....	grip
Stéphane Bourgoin	....	electrician
Philippe Cadeau	....	lighting technician (as Philip Cadeau)
Alain Dondin	....	electrician
Roland Dondin	....	electrician
Jean-Pierre Gesbert	....	grip
Christophe Gilbaud	....	assistant camera
André Haidant	....	grip
Kareem La Vaullée	....	Steadicam operator
Jean-Claude LeBras	....	electrician (as Jean-Claude Le Bras)
Hans Schürmann	....	assistant camera
Eric Stitzel	....	assistant camera
Christian Thurot	....	electrician
Jean-Paul Toraille	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Marie-Sylvie Caillierez	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Saïda Bekas	....	costumer
Marie-Christine Budelberger	....	costumer
Ann Dunsford	....	costumer (as Anne Dunsford Varenne)
Patrick Lavoix	....	costumes: Lambert Wilson (as Patrick Lavoix par Christian Dior Monsieur)

Editorial Department
Pierre Berlot	....	color timer
Elise Fievet	....	assistant editor
Anne Frey	....	assistant editor
Christophe Pinel	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Bruno Fontaine	....	music arranger
Bruno Fontaine	....	musician: piano
Didier Lizé	....	music mixer

Other crew
Sylvette Baudrot	....	script supervisor
Robert Debrusse	....	projectionist
Floc'h	....	title drawings
Aurelia Lafaye	....	production assistant
Anaïs Marillier	....	trainee script supervisor
Aurore Moutier	....	trainee script supervisor
Catherine Staub	....	production administrator
Thierry Valletoux	....	reportage

Production Companies

• Arena Films (co-production)
• Caméra One (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Vega Film (co-production)
• Greenpoint Films (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Cofimage 9 (participation)
• Sofineurope (participation)
• Alia Film (participation)
• Télévision Suisse-Romande (TSR) (participation)
• European Co-production Fund (participation)
• Eurimages (support)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (support)
• Procirep (support)
• L'Office Federal de la Culture Suisse (support)

Distributors

• AMLF (1997) (France) (theatrical)
• Pathé (1997) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Fox Pathé Europa (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Alliance Vivafilm (1999) (Canada) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Atalanta Filmes (1998) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (1998) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (1998) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Filmcooperative (1997) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Istituto Luce (1998) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Merchant Ivory Productions (1999) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Pandora Filmproduktion (1998) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Polyfilm (1998) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Sherlock Media S.L. (1998) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Casablanca Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Casablanca Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Manga Films (1998) (Spain) (all media)
• Primer Plano Film Group (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Ripley's Home Video (2005) (Italy) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Christian Dior  costumes: for Lambert Wilson (as Patrick Lavoix par Christian Dior Monsieur)
• Christian Lacroix  costumes: for Sabine Azéma

Also Known As:

"On connaît la chanson" - France (original title)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

France | Switzerland | UK | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Italy:T | UK:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:I | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Arena Films

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L'atelier d'Alain Resnais (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Résiste

The Sound of Silence

In the unapproximate center of "On connaît la chanson," find a marvelous joke that missed by everyone at the sold out SFIFF screening I attended. If you want to try to catch it yourself, then don't read on! I'm writing to those of you who didn't or won't catch it. Four or five characters are seated chatting or arguing, I forget, round a table in a busy restaurant. As you know from other comments here, the script incorporates line fragments from well-known French songs (kind of like those "hidden picture" puzzles in the dentist office magazine). As each occurs, someone bursts into song. One of our group, after an unremarkable, perfectly conversational pause, says "je ne regret rien," then pauses, as does everyone else round the table. They look at one another, everyone at everyone, the very clatter of the restaurant seems to pause, waiting, and for the only time in this film, nobody takes the cue. Nobody breaks into the Piaf standard.