Quand j'étais chanteur (2006)

Director:

Xavier Giannoli

Writer:

Xavier Giannoli

Release Date:

13 September 2006 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Sometimes love can be found in the most unexpected places (DVD Australia)

Plot:

Alain Moreau sings for one of the few remaining dance-bands in Clermont-Ferrand. Though something of...

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Orchestra | Clermont Ferrand | Fading Star | 2000s

Awards:

3 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	Alain Moreau
Cécile De France	...	Marion
Mathieu Amalric	...	Bruno
Christine Citti	...	Michèle
Patrick Pineau	...	Daniel
Jean-Pierre Gos	...	Le maire
Antoine de Prekel	...	Martin
Monique Gailleurd	...	Organisateur Soirée
Alain Kruger	...	Médecin
Patrick Bordier	...	Responsable Palais
Jean-Paul Combes	...	Patron Aquarius
Serge Godenaire	...	Maitre d'hôtel
Marie Kremer	...	Laurence
Catherine Salviat	...	Mme Laville
Cécile Auclert	...	Blonde
Camille De Pazzis	...	Jenifer
Grégory Valais	...	Fabrice
Danielle Chanone	...	Fan
Gilles Dumesnil	...	Patron relais (as Gilles Dumenil)
Fabrice Guenon	...	Guitariste
Michel Croizet	...	Bassiste / Clavier
Jean-Luc Montagnon	...	Guitariste
Magguy Montagnon	...	Choriste
Philippe Gonzales	...	Clavier Accordéon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christophe	...	Himself / En personne (uncredited)

Directed by
Xavier Giannoli

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Xavier Giannoli

Produced by
Manon Baudoin	....	assistant producer
Luc Besson	....	executive producer
Jean Coulon	....	associate producer
Michel de Wouters	....	associate producer
Pierre-Ange Le Pogam	....	producer
Mehdi Sayah	....	assistant producer
Edouard Weil	....	producer

Original Music by
Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography by
Yorick Le Saux

Film Editing by
Martine Giordano

Casting by
Antoinette Boulat

Production Design by
François-Renaud Labarthe

Art Direction by
Emmanuelle Cuillery
Fanny Stauff

Set Decoration by
Tibor Dora		(decor)

Costume Design by
Nathalie Benros

Production Management
Martin Allegaree	....	unit manager trainee
Mederic Bourlat	....	production manager
Gregory Bruneau	....	assistant unit manager
Sébastien Delepine	....	unit manager trainee
Nathalie Hoang Dac Huong	....	extra unit manager trainee
Amélie Melkonian	....	assistant production
Guinal Riou	....	assistant unit manager
Grégory Valais	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Justine Bosco	....	assistant director
Dominique Delany	....	first assistant director
Ludovic Giraud	....	third assistant director
Julie Grumbach	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Stephane Condat	....	set dresser
Emmanuelle Cuillery	....	assistant art director
Fabien Lang	....	props
Fanny Stauff	....	first assistant art director

Sound Department
Fabien Adelin	....	foley recordist
Gabriel Hafner	....	sound
Micki Joanni	....	synchron editor
Erwan Kerzanet	....	boom operator
François Musy	....	sound
Renaud Musy	....	sound assistant
Matthieu Sibony	....	supervising sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Philippe Bordelais	....	steadicam operator
David Camus	....	grip
Pierlugi De Palo	....	assistant camera
Emile Dubuisson	....	first assistant camera
Cyril Dupont	....	electrician
Stéphane Germain	....	key grip

Casting Department
Claire Andrieu	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Valérie Le Hello	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Mathilde Delacroix	....	color timer
Marie-Julie Maille	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Benjamin Caillaud	....	music editor
Jean-Yves d'Angelo	....	music arranger: songs
Jérôme Lateur	....	music supervisor
Vincent Lebegue	....	music legal coordinator
Elise Luguern	....	music production supervisor
Alexandre Mahout	....	music assistant
Stéphane Reichart	....	music scoring mixer
Mehdi Sayah	....	assistant music supervisor

Other crew
Patrick Boshart	....	location scout
Myriam Bruguière	....	press attache
Sandie Cabrol	....	production coordinator
Nathalie Choukroun-Lacoste	....	legal assistant
Olivier Guigues	....	press attache
Clémentine Harland	....	production coordinator
Thomas Percy	....	press attache
Leila Smith	....	production assistant
Élodie Van Beuren	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• EuropaCorp
• Rectangle Productions
• France 3 Cinéma
• Sofica Europacorp

Distributors

• Artificial Eye (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• EuropaCorp. Distribution (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Karma Films (2007) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2006-2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Prokino Filmverleih (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Divisa Home Video (2008) (Spain) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

France:112 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:o.Al. | Australia:M | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Auvergne, France

Company:

EuropaCorp

Movie Connections:

Features Stromboli (1950)

Soundtrack:

Les Paradis Perdus

surprisingly enjoyable

After seeing the trailer I didn't expect to enjoy this movie. Lesson: don't judge a movie by its trailer.

Although it is a fairly corny affair, the setting is an unusual one, the performances and production values are high, and the script unexpectedly funny.

However, without a star of considerable magnitude the entire soufflé would fall flat. Fortunately the great Depardieu is on hand, his giant presence matched by his lightness of touch. It's curious how the old American lions - de Niro, Pacino and the others - don't seem to be able to both play their image while sending it up at the same time: they only manage one thing or the other. In this modest movie, Depardieu is both himself and something of a parody of himself. The result is two-for-the-price-of-one enjoyment.

The songs he sings - very well - are all genuine French pop songs which themselves border on self-parody, in the way that so many country-and western songs do - a seam of humour richly mined by Altman in Nashville. There's nothing so subtle here: Quand J'Etais Chanteur is so loosely woven that close scrutiny would unravel it. But for all that, it's surprisingly enjoyable.