And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen... (2002)

A jazz singer and a British jewel thief are brought together by their mutual desire to forget the past.

Director:

Claude Lelouch

Writers:

Claude Lelouch, Pierre Leroux,

Stars:

Jeremy Irons, Patricia Kaas, Thierry Lhermitte

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Irons	...	Valentin Valentin
Patricia Kaas	...	Jane Lester
Thierry Lhermitte	...	Thierry
Alessandra Martines	...	Françoise
Claudia Cardinale	...	Madame Falconetti
Jean-Marie Bigard	...	Dr. Larry / Pharmacist
Ticky Holgado	...	Boubou
Yvan Attal	...	David
Amidou	...	Police Inspector
Sylvie Loeillet	...	Soleil
Constantin Alexandrov	...	Monsieur Falconetti
Stéphane Ferrara	...	Sam Hernandez, the Boxer
Samuel Labarthe	...	Trumpet Player
Paul Freeman	...	English Customer
Souad Amidou	...	Chambermaid

Storyline

Valentin is a criminal mastermind, but his exploits don't prove much in the way of satisfaction. Thus, he sets out on a one-man sailing trip around the world in a last attempt at finding meaning in his life. Meanwhile, in Morocco, a burned-out jazz singer named Jane is trying to forget a fizzled love affair. And so begins the journey of these two lost souls who are destined to cross paths.

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Plot Keywords:

singer | morocco | thief | jazz singer | jewel thief | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for momentary language

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Classics [United States] SND (French)

Country:

France UK

Language:

French English Arabic Italian

Release Date:

29 May 2002 (France)

Also Known As:

Amantes Sem Passado

Filming Locations:

Essaouira, Morocco

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$49,176 (USA) (1 August 2003)

Gross:

$736,762 (USA) (21 November 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, Films 13, France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min 133 min 128 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dustin Hoffman once showed an interest in playing Valentin. Once he dropped out, John Malkovich was also approached.

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Goofs

In the dream sequence toward the end at the jazz club, there are a couple of shots where the trumpet player is clearly not playing, but yet the sounds of a trumpet are still heard.

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Connections

References Happy New Year (1973)

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Soundtracks

"What Now My Love"
Written by Gilbert Bécaud

User Reviews

Surprise, Surprise -- A Brilliant Movie and I walked in without a clue!

I was sure Claude Lelouch was 80 or 81. After all, hadn't it been about 40 years since I saw, "A Man and a Woman"? But I didn't know that Mr. Lelouch began as a child director!

"And Now - Ladies and Gentlemen" is an exciting, engrossing, intelligent, funny, cynical and symbolically thought-provoking film by a writer/director who I'm still sure is over 80 but is allowed to deduct several years due to the nature of the business.

Mr. Lelouch uses music to move the action forward. to establish time and place and (no surprise at all) to elicit emotion and, not coincidentally, to entertain. And the acting - brilliant Jeremy Irons captures each and every nuance of his demanding role. The film is worth it if you only attend to see his performance.

I can't guarantee you'll walk out singing. As a matter of fact, I doubt it. I can't even guarantee you'll enjoy the film. But I can guarantee you will be talking about what it all meant long after the New Year has dawned.

This takes me back to my childhood, when the likes of "A Man and A Woman," "Hiroshima Mon Amour," "Last Year at Marienbad," "Jules et Jim," and a host of other fine european films were part and parcel of the "film-going" experience -- where you were not only entertained but fiercely challenged to think about what you thought you had just seen!

My plea, my suggestion to you is see this film and make up your own mind. Never, ever, let anyone make up your mind for you. Experience the power of movies for yourself, whenever you can.