PAROLES ET MUSIQUE (WORDS AND MUSIC)

France, 1984, 107 minutes, Colour.
Catherine Deneuve, Christopher Lambert, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Nick Mancuso, Jacques Perrin.
Directed by Elie Chouraqui.

Words and Music is a glossy French entertainment, a tour of the world of show business and an exploration of the repercussions of this glamorous world on family and relationships. It is a star vehicle for Catherine Deneuve, for Christopher Lambert early in his career. Nick Mancuso appears as Deneuve's husband. Charlotte Gainsbourg is also starring in an early role.

The film has a lavish look, soundtrack, a background of rock and roll music, French style of the '80s. The material is conventional enough - but is given style by the stars.

1.Entertaining drama? Glimpse of the show business world? The world of concerts and rock and roll? Agents and management? The French style?

2.The Paris locations, American locations? The Michel Legrand score, the performance of his songs? The stars and their screen presence?

3.The soap opera plot, emotional response, understanding of lives, ambitions, relationships?

4.Peter and his message, the answering machine, his desperation? The separation from his wife? His love for his children, the contact with his daughter? Writing letters, the phone calls? The eventual meeting? His declaration of his love again? His understanding of his wife's affair? Their settling down for a future?

5.Margaux and Catherine Deneuve's screen presence and style, her relationship with Peter, the length of the marriage, the children? Her running the household, the relationships with the children, especially her daughter? Her response to Peter? Being busy, the world of show business, her agency? Crises, shows? Auditioning talent? Going to clubs to listen? Her response to the singing group, inviting them to England? Her relationship with the singer, the affair, the lyrical and comic presentation of it? The effect on herself? Her daughter's illness and the singer and his support? The children responding well to him? At home, her future? Peter and his return, her final decision?

6.Christopher Lambert as the singer? Their work in the restaurant, singing, compositions? His partner and his creativity, exhilaration? The composition, performance? Their going to England, success? The affair with Margaux, abandoning his friend? His illness, in the house, relationship with the children? The possibilities of a future? His final dilemma, the relationship, his friend, career, songs and success? Seeing him singing at the end?

7.The composer, his skills and talent, performance, friendship? The group of friends, the opportunities, performance, recordings? The personal clashes? Reconciliation?

8.The glimpse of the children, the daughter and her relationship to her mother, to her father? The phone calls? The presence of the singer in the house? Understanding what was going on? Her support of her mother? The family?

9.The world of show business, auditions, agents? Pressures, logistics? Tours? Contracts? Recordings?

10.The presentation of relationships - in depth or soap opera style? Audiences identifying with the experiences, love, separations, commitments, final decisions?