La discrète (1990)

There is an author who has been dumped by his girlfriend and has no inspiration for a next novel. In an attempt to find a solution to both crises, he, along with his publisher friend, ... See full summary »

Director:

Christian Vincent

Writers:

Christian Vincent, Jean-Pierre Ronssin

Stars:

Fabrice Luchini, Judith Henry, Maurice Garrel

5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fabrice Luchini	...	Antoine
Judith Henry	...	Catherine
Maurice Garrel	...	Jean
Marie Bunel	...	Solange
François Toumarkine	...	Manu
Brice Beaugier	...	Solange's Friend
Yvette Petit	...	Baker's Wife
Nicole Félix	...	Monique
Olivier Achard	...	Customer
Serge Riaboukine	...	Cafe Waiter
Katia Popova	...	Girl in Cafe
Amy Laviètes	...	Ewa
Hélène Hardouin	...	Catherine's Friend
Marie Verdi	...	Woman in Restaurant
Pierre Gérald	...	Scientist

Storyline

There is an author who has been dumped by his girlfriend and has no inspiration for a next novel. In an attempt to find a solution to both crises, he, along with his publisher friend, decides to seduce a young woman with the singular purpose of keeping a diary of the seduction and then dump her before publishing the book about it. Unfortunately he falls in love with her.

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Plot Keywords:

seduction | publisher | diary | book | brief female nudity | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Did You Know?

Connections

Version of In the Company of Men (1997)

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Soundtracks

Sonate K 87
Written by Domenico Scarlatti
Performed by Jay Gottlieb

User Reviews

three player chess game

Another instance where movieland gets a charming girl to play a person whom the other characters refer to as "hideous" and "ugly." I suppose that's a film-making aside for the audience to see her inner beauty to which the other characters are blind. I'd like to see a film where the supposed ugly character is played by a truly "ugly" character actor : that way, our values and perceptions are challenged to overcome surface beauty as much as the characters on screen are challenged to.

Jean and Antoine's relationship is interesting. Jean symbolizes an omniscient force in Antoine's setup match with Catherine. Antoine continually consults Jean for the next move in the relationship. One gets the feeling Antoine and Catherine are pawns in a chess game Jean is playing. But who is Jean playing against?

There is a pattern of repetition that is established from early on in the movie. Antoine's daily visits to the cafe, his visits to Jean, the retyping of manuscipts. I got the sense that there are cycles within cycles in an interlocking machine of fate. Do we know who is controlling the destiny of Catherine and Antoine's relationship? Is it Jean, is it Antoine, Catherine?

The little anecdotes Antoine tells are the subtext/footnotes to the storyline.

Catherine walking alone on the countryside to Domenico Scarlatti's K87 sonata is a gasp of quiet solitude that subtly expands her loner narrative.

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 November 1990 (France)

Also Known As:

The Discreet

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Gross USA:

$229,160

Company Credits

Production Co:

France 3 Cinéma, Les Productions Lazennec, Sara Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)