Villa des roses (2002)

Director:

Frank Van Passel

Writers:

Christophe Dirickx (writer)
Willem Elsschot (novel)

Release Date:

27 February 2002 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Louise Créteur's husband dies on the Titanic trying to emigrate, so she must leave their boy Lucien...

Plot Keywords:

Male Nudity | Dog | Bed Scene | Drinking | Dancing

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Julie Delpy	...	Louise Créteur
Shaun Dingwall	...	Richard Grünewald
Harriet Walter	...	Olive Burrell
Shirley Henderson	...	Ella
Timothy West	...	Hugh Burrell
Frank Vercruyssen	...	Aasgaard
Toni Barry	...	Mrs. Bunny Wimhurst
Jan Decleir	...	Monsieur Brizard
Dora van der Groen	...	Mrs. Gendron
Albert Delpy	...	Antoine Créteur
Stéphane Excoffier	...	Jeanne de Keros
Rifka Lodeizen	...	Radsky
Halina Reijn	...	Natsje
Maya van den Broecke	...	Anna Kuprinski
Gary Whelan	...	Mr. O'Connor

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including an abortion scene, some sexuality, brief strong language and nudity.

Runtime:

118 min | Belgium:120 min

Country:

Belgium | Luxembourg | UK | Netherlands

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Company:

Favourite Films

Trivia:

Some old panoramic postcards were used to turn into live images.

Boring adaptation of a novel.

Do not go to this movie if you haven't read the book by the Flemish writer Willem Elschot. This movie is very boring and lacks all interest because you cannot identify with the characters. Does Grünewald (Shaun Dingwall) love Louise Créteur (Jules Delpy) or not? Does he become a deserter at the end or is he killed in the war? Why does the German commit suicide? What happens with the old woman Gendron (Dora van der Groen)? Grünewald must be something of a German superman that an American widow falls in love with him at first sight. This movie is slow and dark, is it always raining in Paris? Behalf of that you don't feel the Parisian atmosphere. It could be London at the end of the 19th century or even a German town at the same period. The lawyer (he was a lawyer), who is the real "chief" of the pension has no personality at all, he could as well be the postman ringing at the door. The end of the movie is the best: then at last you see that Louise Créteur has feelings and that she can cry. Every time that Grünewald wants to declare his love, somebody intervenes very artificially to interrupt their tentative to some conversation. Is Grünewald the "man with black hair" who is going to ruin the life of Louise as a fortune-speller predicts? The abortion seems to be done so that Grünewald never knows it, which is impossible. And how does Grünewald react to this remains also a mystery. The war scenes are superfluous and without interest. Everybody plays on the piano in this hotel which is also without interest. The friendship with the other servant is uncomprehensible, why is she so honest? Is she really her friend? She has nothing to win by being her friend. This movie is full of riddles and at the end you say: "Let this soon be over, please".