LA PETITE LILI
France, 2003, 104 minutes, Colour.
Ludovine Sagnier, Robinson Stevenin, Nicole Garcia, Bernard Giraudeau, Jean- Pierre Marielle, Julie Depardieu.
Directed by Claude Miller.
For many years Claude Miller has made serious dramas which have been well-crafted and finely acted. This film has a lighter touch. He acknowledges his inspiration from Checkhov. In a holiday house, a family and friends gather to see the experimental short film made by the moody son and featuring the attractive young neighbour, Lili. What follows is partly comedy of errors, partly a comedy of reconciliation.
Amongst the gallery of characters are a film star mother with as much temperament as her son, her producer lover, her elder and crotchety brother as well as the owners of the house and their love-stricken daughter. Rounding out the group is the local doctor.
As a picture of a dysfunctional group, the film is interesting even if we are irritated by their behaviour. When the second part of the film moves into their all participating in a film of the first part, it is often amusing while highly, perhaps too highly contrived. Once again, it is the performances which stand out: Nicole Garcia and Robinson Stevenin as mother and son, Ludovine Sagnier as the ambitious Lili and, best of all Jean-Pierre? as the grumpy brother spouting hilarious lines (and being played by Michel Piccoli in the film).
1. An entertainment? The two parts? The basis on Chekhov’s The Seagull with its world of the theatre, transferred to the world of cinema?
2. The lake and the holiday atmosphere, its natural beauty? The contrast with the studios - and even the re-creation of the holiday house and the lake? The musical score?
3. The title and its focus on Lili, the focus on each of the central characters?
4. The portrait of the family, the group on holidays, the holiday tradition, the holiday atmosphere, the complexity of the relationships: Mado and Bryce together, Lili and her attraction to Julian, Jeanne-Marie? and her infatuation with Julian, her mother and the liaison with the doctor? The shifting relationships?
5. Simon, the older veteran, sleeping in the paddock, the cows coming, his grumpy comments about meals and everything else? His relationship with the doctor, the owner of the house?
6. The set-up for Julian to show his film, Lili coming over? The screening of the film, its artistic style, the poetry? Mado and her bad reaction, shifting, dropping the keys? The moodiness of the son and his walking out? Each of them having a truth, each of them being right? Both of them being rude? The complex relationship of mother and son?
7. Lili's response to the film, seeing herself, her performance, seeing Bryce watching it, his infatuation with her, her working on this, it leading her to become a film star?
8. The doctor, the shifty liaison with the mother, her pleading with him so that she could go away with him, his refusal? Her desperation? Her insensitive husband?
9. Jeanne- Marie and her talking to Bryce, his telling her that she was the most interesting of the characters? Her place in the household, with each of the family, her continued smoking, neurotic, obviously in love with Julian?
10. The portrait of Mado, the temperamental actress, popular actress, the work of Bryce as a producer of popular entertainments and his being spurned by Julien? Bryce agreeing in many ways with Julien's theories and charges?
11. Time passing, the decision to make the film about their holiday? The changes? The credibility of such a film?
12. Lili and her success, her approach to Julien to be in the film? His finally agreeing?
13. The characters playing themselves? Bryce and Mado being at peace, joining in the film? Bryce and his watching of Lili with her success? Julian now become much more normal, married to Jeanne-Marie?, their child? His skills as a director? The actor playing him and his directing him? Simon coming to visit the set, his discovering that Michel Piccoli was playing him, their repartee and memories of old days, especially about Brigitte Bardot?
14. The re-enactment of the dinner, the mirroring of what the audience had already seen? Helping the audience to understand - in the light of the consequences?
15. Lili, her performance, her final walk up the cliff, the applause, the ending of the film - and the set photo?
16. Cinema imitating cinema imitating life?
