Nelly & Monsieur Arnaud (1995)

When Nelly, a woman being just divorced, meets by chance M. Arnaud, a mature salesman just retired, begins a strange and special relationship between the two personalities.

Director:

Claude Sautet

Writers:

Jacques Fieschi, Claude Sautet

Stars:

Emmanuelle Béart, Michel Serrault, Jean-Hugues Anglade

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 6 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emmanuelle Béart	...	Nelly
Michel Serrault	...	M. Pierre Arnaud
Jean-Hugues Anglade	...	Vincent Granec
Claire Nadeau	...	Jacqueline
Françoise Brion	...	Lucie
Michèle Laroque	...	Isabelle
Michael Lonsdale	...	Dolabella
Charles Berling	...	Jerôme
Jean-Pierre Lorit	...	Christophe
Michel Albertini	...	Djamel
Coraly Zahonero	...	Marianne
Graziella Delerm	...	Laurence
Olivier Pajot	...	Jean-Marc
Alexandre Chappuis	...	Luc
Karine Foviau	...	Sandrine

Storyline

When Nelly, a woman being just divorced, meets by chance M. Arnaud, a mature salesman just retired, begins a strange and special relationship between the two personalities.

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | writing | publishing | divorce | character name in title | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France Italy Germany

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 June 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nelly and Mr. Arnaud

Filming Locations:

Chantilly, Oise, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$937,000, 12 July 1996

Gross USA:

$858,345, 25 August 1996

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica,Les Films Alain Sarde,Prokino Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Monsieur Arnaud: You reach an age when you read the same few books over and over.

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Connections

Featured in Claude Sautet ou La magie invisible (2003)

User Reviews

Heart-stoppingly wonderful

How many film-makers make their greatest masterpiece as their last film? Not many, but to that select list, add Claude Sautet. Nelly & M. Arnaud is exquisite.

It is cinema.

This is to say that, in common with most truly and unquestionably great films, it could not exist with such power in any other art. The most difficult and also the most wonderful films are the films that take place, primarily in their character's hearts. It was not important what Charles Foster Kane *did*, but what he felt. In this film too, we experience the primacy of human feelings.

We do this through two luminous performances that reveal just how coarse is the acting that we habitually see in block-buster movies. One of the many deep emotions that overcame me when I first saw this film was that sheer privilege to see such acting.

To see the very gradual, subtle and beautiful love that develops between the two central characters is to get a glimpse of heaven. A film, then, not of love, but the possibility of love, and a warning without didacticism that we all should grasp love if we are given the opportunity.

Perhaps the greatest joy of cinema is its ability to allow us to experience rare emotion. This wonderful, wonderful film does that in an effortless way, without sentimentality, and for that we should be eternally grateful. Thank you M. Sautet, wherever you may be.