Je rentre à la maison (2001)

The comfortable daily routines of aging Parisian actor Gilbert Valence, 76, are suddenly shaken when he learns that his wife, daughter, and son-in-law have been killed in a car crash. ... See full summary »

Director:

Manoel de Oliveira

Writers:

Manoel de Oliveira (scenario and dialogue), Jacques Parsi (scenario consultant: literature)

Stars:

Michel Piccoli, Catherine Deneuve, John Malkovich

5 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michel Piccoli	...	Gilbert Valence
Catherine Deneuve	...	Marguerite
John Malkovich	...	John Crawford, Film Director
Antoine Chappey	...	George
Leonor Baldaque	...	Sylvia
Leonor Silveira	...	Marie
Ricardo Trêpa	...	Guard
Jean-Michel Arnold	...	Doctor
Adrien de Van	...	Ferdinand
Sylvie Testud	...	Ariel
Isabel Ruth	...	Milkmaid
Andrew Wale	...	Stephen
Robert Dauney	...	Haines
Jean Koeltgen	...	Serge
Mauricette Gourdon	...	Guilhermine, the Housekeeper

Storyline

The comfortable daily routines of aging Parisian actor Gilbert Valence, 76, are suddenly shaken when he learns that his wife, daughter, and son-in-law have been killed in a car crash. Having to take care of his now-orphaned grandson, he struggles to go on with his lifelong acting career like he's used to. But the roles he is offered -- a flashy TV show and a hectic last-minute replacement in an English-language film of Joyce's Ulysses -- finally convince him that it's time to retire.

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Plot Keywords:

aging | actor | wallet | cleaning lady | window display | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Madragoa Films (Portuguese, English, French)

Country:

France Portugal

Language:

French English

Release Date:

12 September 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

I'm Going Home

Box Office

Budget:

FRF 18,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Madragoa Filmes,Gemini Films,France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chosen by "Les Cahiers du cinéma" (France) as one of the 10 best pictures of 2001 (#05)

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Goofs

From the 2nd to the 3rd Café scene, the headlines on both Le Figaro and Liberátion do not change, and it is supposed to be another day.

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Connections

Referenced in Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil (2009)

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Soundtracks

LOHENGRIN - Prélude (Vorspiel 1 Aufzug)
Music by Richard Wagner (as R. Wagner)
Performed by Slovenská Filharmónia (as Orchestre Philharmonique Slovaque)
Conducted by Michael Halász

User Reviews

Let's get real, people.

"I'm Going Home" - a heady subtitled French character study and contemplation which focuses on a bereaved and aging thespian, Valence (Piccoli) - consumes huge chunks of time as we watch the protag perform on stage, buy shoes, get mugged, get made up for a movie, flub his lines, etc. Deneuve and Malkovich are on screen for a heartbeat and the whole messy death of his family thing is skipped over in deference to the lengthy scenes. I was surprised when the film abruptly ended with no climax, no denouement, and no warning...just poof, credits rolling. The bottom line here is this is not much of a movie by the standards of ordinary filmgoers. However, it is fodder for cinematic devotees, critics and industry people, pedants and dilettantes, etc. If you care about such trivia as the director was 90+ years of age, then you may want to give this film a look. If you just want entertainment, think twice. (B)

Note: Being surprised when the film ended is a good thing. That meant I was sufficiently engrossed as to not be watching the clock. For what it's worth and it's not much, I enjoyed this film a lot.