PAS DE SCANDALE
France, 1999, 105 minutes, Colour.
Fabrice Luchini, Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Lindon, Fahina Giocante.
Directed by Benoit Jacquot.
Pas de Scandale is a film about middle-aged people, designed for an intelligent adult audience. However, it is generally understated - and audiences might benefit from a bit more detail which they have to fill in to understand the characters and the situations and emotional crises.
Vincent Lindon portrays Louis, a television star, who has given over the ownership of a factory to his older brother. However, the older brother has been jailed for money-laundering in a government crackdown on industry. He comes out of jail, out of kilter, trying to resume his life. The film shows mainly his first day where he encounters his wife and children, Isabelle Huppert, his brother, his wife's hairdresser with whom he finds a sympathetic friendship and, by chance, her boyfriend whom he encountered briefly in jail. The film resolves itself at his mother's birthday dinner where the whole family, including a sister who is a nun, discusses the situation and the TV brother announces that he has an illegitimate child that they did know of. When the older brother leaves, the younger follows him and they are reconciled on a train.
The film is well written, well acted, makes its audience somewhat insecure in its wondering about who each character is, the nature of the relationships, the social problems as well as the personal problems and how these can be resolved.
1.A French film of relationships, emotions? A verbal film with emphasis on dialogue and discussion? Yet an understated screenplay in terms of motivation and details of events and characters?
2.The Paris settings and the use of the city, the streets, the trains, the river? The contrast with Arras?
3.The range of the musical score, the use of classics?
4.The reticence of the screenplay, the audience responding to performance and dialogue, supplying their own understanding and feelings about motivation and plot?
5.Louis and Veronique and their arrival, Louis upset at the house being changed, his godmother? Walking, wanting to visit Laure (and Veronique seeing it and later visiting her and finding out the truth about the daughter)? His concern about Gregoire? The first encounter, Gregoire in the bath, his wanting a plan of action as regards the media? His relationship with Agnes in the present and in the past, their discussions? The build-up to the talk show, Gregoire not being able to say anything? The author and the philosophical discussions about fascism and censorship? His personal anxiety, yet performing on screen? Visiting his mother? The visit to Laure and the discussion about the daughter? Telling the truth to Agnes, his being late for the meal, confessing to them all, chasing the train and the reconciliation with Gregoire?
6.Gregoire and his background, the owner of the business, his going to jail for three months, his comments about responsibility and guilt? His coming out, uncertainty, Agnes coming to meet him, having no money, feeling out of kilter with society, at home, the children, having the bath, eating? Meeting Stephanie and her rebuke that he was treating her like an idiot (as did Agnes)? His appointment with her, walking, talking, the taxi home? Infatuated with her and kissing her? Her response? Going home to Agnes, the resumption of the sexual relationship? Going to work, the chauffeur, the traffic jam, uneasiness, walking to work? People warning others in the building that he had arrived? His not going to the television discussion? The chance meeting with the boy from jail, the story of the Camel cigarette cards and the experience of kindness? The return, the irony of his being Stephanie's boyfriend? His going to the meal, his lack of ease, his mother, sister? The attack by Louis on his goodness and his going out, catching the train? How good a man was he, his kindness, taking the blame for others? His future?
7.Agnes and her life, quiet, a confident woman, the friendship with Stephanie? Her response to her husband, getting him from the cafe? Her past relationship with Louis, Louis able to talk with her, her advice not to reveal the truth? Her emotional and sexual relationship with Gregoire?
8.Veronique, her moodiness, the difficulty with Louis, the visit to Laure and discovery about the daughter? Her presence at the meal - and not saying anything?
9.Stephanie, at work, the manager of the hairdresser's - and the long chat with Gregoire, his later bringing the champagne and the staff drinking the toast? Stephanie and her betraying her boyfriend? His coming out of jail, going to the apartment, smoking pot with his friend, watching TV - with Louis? The meeting with Gregoire, the taxi ride, seeing him later? The chance encounter because of her boyfriend? The boyfriend, the experience of prison, the Camel cards, his pleasure in meeting Gregoire?
10.The men's mother, her advice to her son, the dinner, her handling of the situation, the old uncle and his stories, the sister and her comments about the convent, her influence on her brothers?
11.The themes of family, ethics, emotions and relationships?
