Café de flore (2011)

A love story between a man and woman. And between a mother and her son. A mystical and fantastical odyssey on love.

Director:

Jean-Marc Vallée

Writer:

Jean-Marc Vallée

Stars:

Vanessa Paradis, Kevin Parent, Hélène Florent

9 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vanessa Paradis	...	Jacqueline
Kevin Parent	...	Antoine Godin
Hélène Florent	...	Carole
Evelyne Brochu	...	Rose
Marin Gerrier	...	Laurent
Alice Dubois	...	Véronique
Evelyne de la Chenelière	...	Amélie
Michel Dumont	...	Julien Godin
Linda E. Smith	...	Louise Godin (as Linda Smith)
Joanny Corbeil-Picher	...	Juliette
Rosalie Fortier	...	Angéline
Michel Laperrière	...	Le psychologue
Caroline Bal	...	La mère de Véronique
Nicolas Marié	...	Le père de Véronique
Pascal Elso	...	Paul

Storyline

A love story about people separated by time and place but connected in profound and mysterious ways. Atmospheric, fantastical, tragic and hopeful, the film chronicles the parallel fates of Jacqueline, a young mother with a disabled son in 1960s Paris, and Antoine, a recently divorced, successful DJ in present day Montreal. What binds the two stories together is love - euphoric, obsessive, tragic, youthful, timeless love. In 1960s Paris, a working class woman gives birth to her first child, Laurent - a Down Syndrome son. Undaunted she embraces the challenge of raising her beloved offspring as normally as one would any other child. Her husband abandons them both. She bravely brushes this additional hiccup aside as Laurent replaces her spouse as the perfect man of her dreams. As Laurent approaches school age Jacqueline's aplomb becomes obsessive and cloying. Her increasingly self-destructive attachment to her son is raised to a fever pitch when, at the age of seven, he meets a Down ...

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Plot Keywords:

breasts | oral sex | sex in shower | cunnilingus | breast feeding | 

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Taglines:

Healing a broken heart isn't easy. Sometimes it takes a lifetime...or two.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director and writer Jean-Marc Vallée originally wanted Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" as part of the film's soundtrack, however while Jimmy Page eventually agreed to its use, Robert Plant nixed the idea.

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Quotes

Antoine Godin: Do you believe in soulmates? I do. I like the concept that there is somebody who is supposed to be with you forever.

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Soundtracks

A Meaningful Moment Through A Meaning (Less) Process
Written by Adam Wiltzie
Kranky Limited
Performed by Stars of the Lid
Authorised by Kranky Limited

User Reviews

A film that haunts you afterwords

IMHO there are two categories of movies: the ones that impress me when I see it, like Hollywood blockbusters which shock me with stunning visual effects, or action scenes, or dramas. There is another category, that don't produce much of an impression when I see it, I get even bored wondering myself why did I pay the ticket for it. But.. suddenly after a couple of hours, or days, they become alive inside me and haunt me after. "Cafe De Flore" is one of those! It doesn't have a story to tell, it is pure art. The authors plant a seed that is intended to grow inside the viewer. It doesn't try to convince you of anything, doesn't draw a conclusion in the end, just places frame after frame and leave the interpretation to you. I would rate it 8 out of 10. regards, Andrei

Details

Country:

Canada France

Language:

French English

Release Date:

18 November 2011 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Café de flore

Filming Locations:

Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD10,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,227,259

Company Credits

Production Co:

Item 7, Monkey Pack Films, Backup Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1