BEAUTIFUL LIES (DE VRAIS MENSONGES)

France, 2010, 105 minutes. Colour.
Audrey Tautou, Nathalie Baye, Sami Bouajila, Stephanie Lagarde, Judith Chemla.
Directed by Pierre Salvadori.

Tres francais. This film is so French in its characters, behaviour and dialogue. Who else talks and behaves in this way? It would be very difficult to do a Hollywood remake. The French are so French. They have the phrase, amour fou, ‘mad love’ which does not capture the tone of the French words which are both fey and intense.

Audrey Tautou, almost a decade on after her Amelie, is sweet in her way but, as the film goes on, she is more shrewd, calculating (and fou) than sweet. She is Emilie. She co-owns a hairdressing business. Her mother won’t accept that her husband has walked out on her. She meets her father who wants to marry his pregnant girlfriend. She is more than exasperated with her mother. When she receives an anonymous letter, a genteel but passionate love letter, she throws it in the bin. It has been written by Jean (Sami Bouajila), who does the maintenance work at the hairdresser’s, but is too reticent to speak.

We expect that this will be the amour fou between Emilie and Jean. Not so. There is a further amour fou. Emilie retrieves the letter from the bin, copies it and sends it anonymously to her mother to get her out of her seclusion. It does. Maddy, the mother, (Nathalie Baye) hovers waiting for more letters in the post. Emilie has set in motion what becomes a series of deceits. The English title opts for ‘beautiful’ to describe the lies. The original title opts for ‘true’.

Elements of French farce (something else which is so French it does not easily translate to other cultures) now enter in as Emilie writes more letters. Jean becomes entangled with Maddy. He is fired, re-hired, fired. Jean unwittingly delivers one letter by hand and Maddy, no shoes and in her nightgown, follows him to the hairdresser’s. Who finds out the truth and when? And how do they all handle it? A quick answer is ‘badly’. Because this is l’amour, it gets more complicated but since when has ‘amour fou’ stood in the way of true love?

Pierre Salvadori also wrote and directed a film which was even more francais and starred Audrey Tautou, Hors de Prix (Priceless) which was an example of film idolatry of materialistic consumerism (as much as the Sex and the City films were)!

1. A French romantic comedy? The language of love? Sentiment? Behaviour?

2. The French and amour fou? Mad loves? This as an example?

3. The settings, the beauty of the coast and harbour, the town, ordinary aspects, homes, the hairdresser’s shop, the realism? The musical score?

4. The title, the emphasis on beautiful? On lies? The original title and the emphasis on truth? Consequences?

5. The plausibility of the plot, Jean and his letter, Emilie and her mother? Receiving the letter, continuing the letter-writing, the tone, the mother not believing it, engineering another letter from Jean, the consequences, the finality of the truth?

6. The portrait of Emilie, her age, experience, relationships? Her co-owning the business with Sylvie? Her team? Paulette and her correcting of her and advising her at reception? Jean and his work around the shop? Her visits with her mother, the meals, the tension, the gift and her mother leaving it behind? Going to meet her father, her father walking out, his pregnant mistress, wanting to marry? Afraid to tell his ex-wife? Receiving the letter from Jean, throwing it in the rubbish? Copying it, sending it to her mother? Her mother’s reactions, the further tensions? Her behaviour with Jean? Firing and unfiring him? Sylvie and her anxiety about the business? Paulette and her upsets? Using the letters for her mother, the outing with Jean? Jean’s justice on Emilie? His belief? Reciting the letter? Emilie discovering the truth? Her reaction to Jean and his hold over her, smug, the money? Asking him to return the money? The final visit? Going to the art exhibition – and meeting Jean again?

7. Jean, personality, his skills, their languages, the mediation with the Chinese customers, the detail of his work, the background of his breakdown? With Emilie? Infatuated, the voice-over, the letter? The tones of the letter – and Emilie saying it was old-fashioned? His interventions, being fired? Bewildered? Delivering the letter to Maddy? Her following him, his lack of comprehension at her visit? Discussing with Emilie, Emilie’s request? Going out with Maddy? The effect on him, his change of heart, behaving smugly, taking the money? His finally leaving? The invitation to the exhibition – and meeting Emilie again?

8. Maddy, her age, experience, her husband leaving her, her strained relationship with her daughter? Frequently distraught? The letter, her reactions? The outings with Emilie? Her becoming full of life, waiting for the letters to be delivered? Jean delivering the letter, her following him, going to the shop in her nightie without shoes? The outings? The truth, the setting up of the meal? Her being hurt? Her husband and his wedding? Acknowledging the truth, the discussions with Emilie? Arranging for Emilie and Jean to be at the exhibition? Her final smile?

9. Sylvie, the team at work, Sylvie’s puzzle about Emilie’s behaviour, her threats?

10. Paulette, with Maddy? Trying to manage in the shop?

11. Life at the hairdresser’s, the work, the customers? Maddy’s visits?

12. An emotional film, the issue of letters, truth and lies? The consequences?