Merci la vie (1991)

Camille, a naive schoolgirl meets an intiguing influence in Joelle, a slightly older and much more experienced spirit. Camille follows her new friend through the discovery of sex and the ... See full summary »

Director:

Bertrand Blier

Writer:

Bertrand Blier

Stars:

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Anouk Grinberg, Michel Blanc

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Camille Pelleveau
Anouk Grinberg	...	Joëlle
Michel Blanc	...	Raymond Pelleveau (Young Father)
Jean Carmet	...	Raymond Pelleveau (Old Father)
Annie Girardot	...	Evangéline Pelleveau (Old Mother)
Jean-Louis Trintignant	...	SS Officer
Catherine Jacob	...	Evangéline Pelleveau (Young Mother)
Gérard Depardieu	...	Doctor Marc Antoine Worms
Thierry Frémont	...	François
François Perrot	...	Maurice, the Film Director
Yves Rénier	...	Robert, the guard
Didier Bénureau	...	2nd Film Director
Anouk Ferjac	...	Mother in clinic
Philippe Clévenot	...	Producer
Jacques Boudet	...	Craven, the Depositer

Storyline

Camille, a naive schoolgirl meets an intiguing influence in Joelle, a slightly older and much more experienced spirit. Camille follows her new friend through the discovery of sex and the darker side of life. As the film progresses Camille discovers Aids and the fear that she may have picked up the disease in her early encounters.

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | full frontal female nudity | train | aids | teenage girl | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

13 March 1991 (France)

Also Known As:

Thank You, Life

Filming Locations:

Hérault, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ciné Valse, Film Par Film, Orly Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Black and White Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Three actors from the cast were nominated to the César Awards for this movie : Jean Carmet won his second César and his 6 nominations, Anouk Grinberg was nominated for the first time in the Most Promising Actress category and Catherine Jacob received her third nominations.

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Connections

References Buffet Froid (1979)

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Soundtracks

Three Truths
Written and Performed by Philip Glass
extrait de l'album "1000 Airplanes on the Roof"
éditions dunvagen music publishers inc. new-york n.y.

User Reviews

Take 'les valseuses', bring them in the 90's, replace the guys with the girls...

... and you get the film that made me understand what cinema was all about.

The simple story of two teenagers meeting at no time. The candid one, Camille, makes the audience, the more experienced one, Joelle, provides the story: in the 80s or 90s, a foolish lover decides to exploit her sickness (AIDS) to contaminate the male population of his provincial town and gain on the visits of his new patients... the clever man is a GP.

The story is made even more interesting when it suddenly jumps from one period of the 20th century to the other, France under occupation during the second world war. Whatever the period, the drama is the same.

What I liked so much in this film is the way Blier makes the last jump, when the film is no longer about the story but about the crew of the film. It is not only a simple effect, it goes on showing that life is a drama whatever the situation, that even if Joelle is an actress, still she can live the same drama.

The other great thing about this film is that you can't help comparing it with Blier's 'Les Valseuses', and read it as the story of friendship and liberty at two different times (70's for les valseuses). This is not just because of the story line, but is present at almost every shots. From the meeting of the two encounters to simple shots on the road, where both walk, one slower than the other, like an unbalanced pair.