Private Fears in Public Places (2006)
"Coeurs" (original title)

In Paris, six people all look for love, despite typically having their romantic aspirations dashed at every turn.

Director:

Alain Resnais

Writers:

Alan Ayckbourn (play), Jean-Michel Ribes

Stars:

Sabine Azéma, Isabelle Carré, Laura Morante

5 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sabine Azéma	...	Charlotte
Isabelle Carré	...	Gaëlle
Laura Morante	...	Nicole
Pierre Arditi	...	Lionel
André Dussollier	...	Thierry
Lambert Wilson	...	Dan
Claude Rich	...	Arthur (voice)
Françoise Gillard	...	Speakerine TV
Anne Kessler	...	Présentatrice émission TV
Roger Mollien	...	Soldat poète émission TV
Florence Muller	...	Critique d'art émission TV
Michel Vuillermoz	...	Architecte émission TV

Storyline

Seven lonely lives in Paris: a middle-aged estate agent who thinks a colleague is sending messages in video tapes she loans him; his co-worker whose Bible is close at hand in times of stress; her late-night charge, who's an angry, nasty bedridden old man; his son, a patient bartender; the bartender's best patron, an ex-soldier who's lost his moorings while his fiancée looks for a large flat for them; and, the estate agent's much younger sister, who answers ads in the personal and waits in cafés with a red flower pinned on her jacket. Will any connect? Can open hearts trump fears?

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Plot Keywords:

bartender | love | real estate agent | snowing | bar | 

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Taglines:

For six strangers in search of love, the City of Lights can be a very lonely place.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French English

Release Date:

22 November 2006 (France)

Also Known As:

Private Fears in Public Places

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£20,068 (UK) (27 July 2007)

Gross:

£49,649 (UK) (27 July 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Soudaine Compagnie, StudioCanal, France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is a Scarborough poster in Thierry's home. The English seaside resort of Scarborough is the home of the play's author, Sir Alan Ayckbourn.

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Goofs

When Charlotte has the tomato soup thrown at her by Arthur, the front of her blouse and sweater have large reddish stains on them. When Lionel returns home and is talking to her, the stains have disappeared.

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Connections

Featured in Empreintes: Pierre Arditi, un acteur au présent (2012)

User Reviews

Stylish soap

What's good about this film are the Resnais trademarks - the beautiful apartments, the interesting details of decor and props, the great camera-work, the excellent acting from an attractive cast, the acute observation of people's behaviour, motivations and relationships. So, why the moderate score? All this attention on surface appearances results in a certain superficiality. Several unconnected stories, while not an unknown approach, create a certain distance from the characters. Influential relationships, for example father-son, are not shown on screen. And as in many French films, no-one seems to work much or has to deal with real world problems outside of relationships. There's little real logic in story lines or outcomes. There's also a certain clumsy dependence on overt clichés: video porn is compelling for men but denounced by women, men need space and women need children, there are difficult old men and naive young women, misunderstandings abound. Like candy floss or indeed video porn, enjoyable at the time, but it doesn't leave lasting memories.