Le livre de Marie (1984)

Director:

Anne-Marie Miéville

Release Date:

22 March 1986 (Japan)

Genre:

Short

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Bruno Cremer	...	Le Père
Aurore Clément	...	La Mère
Rebecca Hampton	...	Marie
Copi	...	Le Voyageur
Valentine Mercier	...	Petite Fille
Cléa Rédalier	...	Petite Fille

Also Known As:

The Book of Mary (USA)

Runtime:

France:28 min

Country:

France | Switzerland

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Company:

JLG Films

Movie Connections:

Followed by 'Je vous salue, Marie' (1985)

Certainly an impressive short film, when compared to the film that follows it on video...

Anne-Marie Mieville, a frequent collaborator and partner with filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard (who also penned the wonderful First Name: Carmen and, surprisingly, was the one who edited 'Hail Mary'), was by the mid-eighties quite capable of being director as much as co-writer and co-editor, and made this piece about a daughter named Mary and her two parents. They're in the middle of their marital troubles, and at the start of the film are in a bind- will they split for falling out of love, or stay for their child? Soon though, as the child gets a little older, the father leaves, and the mother becomes the primary parent of the intelligent, eccentric, and funny (in a 'French' sort of way) pre-teen. The film is highlighted with a terrific bit of music from Gustav Mahler (the scene itself is surreal when you first see it, but thinking about it it makes sense from the point of view of a kid), and a quiet scene with the daughter and her father late in the film.

Nothing special, but it is a nice treat of an art film that would put off a child if one were to watch it, and should really please admirers of the filmmaker's work. Kudos also to Rebecca Hampton, who's performance as Marie is almost note-perfect for the movement of the story. B+