My Afternoons with Margueritte (2010)

A semi-literate and lonely odd-job man bonds with a much older and well-read woman.

Director:

Jean Becker

Writers:

Jean Becker (screenplay), Jean-Loup Dabadie (screenplay)

Stars:

Gérard Depardieu, Gisèle Casadesus, Maurane

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gérard Depardieu	...	Germain Chazes
Gisèle Casadesus	...	Margueritte Vandeveld
Maurane	...	Francine
Sophie Guillemin	...	Annette
Patrick Bouchitey	...	Landremont - le garagiste
Jean-François Stévenin	...	Jojo dit The Cook
Claire Maurier	...	Jacqueline Chazes - La mère de Germain
Anne Le Guernec	...	Jacqueline Chazes jeune
Bruno Ricci	...	Marco
Lyès Salem	...	Youssef - le serveur
Matthieu Dahan	...	Julien
François-Xavier Demaison	...	Jean-Michel Gardini dit Jean-Mi
Régis Laspalès	...	Monsieur Bayle - L'instituteur
Serge Larivière	...	Le neveu de Margueritte
Jérôme Deschamps	...	Le maire

Storyline

A semi-literate and lonely odd-job man bonds with a much older and well-read woman.

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Plot Keywords:

visual impairment | loss of eyesight | reference to the world health organization | old woman in a wheelchair | odd job man | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Flemish

Release Date:

16 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mis tardes con Margueritte

Filming Locations:

Pons, Charente-Maritime, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,900, 18 September 2011

Gross USA:

$666,557

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,107,143

Company Credits

Production Co:

ICE3, K.J.B. Production, France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 123205.

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Goofs

While Germain studies his dictionary, his cat lying on the table changes position instantly between several shots.

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Quotes

Germain Chazes: It's not a typical love affair, but love and tenderness, both are there. Named after a daisy, she lived amongst words, surrounded by adjectives in green fields of verbs. Some force you yield to. But she, with soft art, passed through my hard shield and into my heart. Not always are love stories just made of love. Sometimes love is not named but it's love just the same. This is not a typical love affair I met her on a bench in my local square. She made a little stir, tiny like a bird with her ...

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Soundtracks

La chanson de Germain
Written by Jean-Loup Dabadie and Laurent Voulzy
Performed by Gérard Depardieu

User Reviews

It's Love Just the Same

Greetings again from the darkness. It's nice to see a sweet, lovely little movie get made and distributed. The only characters are people we immediately recognize and feel like we know ... or wish we did. Based on a novel by Marie-Sabine Roger, it's directed by Jean Becker who clearly loves the characters, dialogue and message.

Gerard Depardieu stars as Germain, a giant hulking mass of man who is both likable and a bit of a target for barbs by his buddies at the café where they all hang out. Germain is the kind of guy who tends a garden of home grown veggies, and finishes his handyman work when the job is done ... even if it means he gets cheated out of a few dollars.

One day Germain meets Margueritte. Seems they both like to feed the pigeons from the same park bench. The two of them fall in love. OK, it's not quite that simple. Margueritte (Gisele Casadesus) is 95 years old and lives at a retirement center nearby. Her world consists mostly of reading books and counting pigeons. That is, until she meets Germain. Her wise, but failing eyes, recognize a wounded man. A man with a giant and kind heart. And mostly a man who is a wonderful listener. See, Margueritte READS aloud to Germain, who was mistreated as a child by his mother and teacher, and never developed any self-esteem or refined social skills. Margueritte helps him overcome through the words she reads ... and the stories he visualizes.

This simple story shows what an impact we can have on others by listening, or through a simple act of kindness. Margueritte's efforts open up the world for Germain, while his willingness to listen and care give her hope for another day. There are side stories involving Germain's mother (Claire Maurier), whom he still cares for, Germain's younger girlfriend Annette (Sophie Guillemin), and the circle of friends at the café/pub. These are all French people and full of life and emotion and judgment and caring.

Despite the shaky ending, this movie made me smile and had me hoping to spend an afternoon on the park bench with Margueritte and Germain ... reading The Plague by Albert Camus. Now that's a movie first!