DADDY NOSTALGIE

France, 1990, 105 minutes, Colour.
Dirk Bogarde, Jane Birkin, Odette Laure.
Directed by Bertrand Tavernier.

Daddy Nostalgie is a very pleasing film by Bertrand Tavernier. Tavernier has made a number of striking films including The Watcher maker of St. Paul's, Coup de Torchon, Sunday in the Country, Round Midnight, Life and Nothing But.

This film, written by Colo Tavernier O’ Hagan, is an exploration of relationship between middle-aged children and ageing and ill parents. Jane Birkin is a writer, summoned by her mother, to the sick bed of her father. Dirk Bogarde is the father and Odette Laure is the mother. Both give excellent performances.

The film, set on the Cote, d'Azure, is beautiful to look at, filmed in panavision, yet has the intimacy of the relationships developing between the three members of the family. There is a lot of wisdom in the dialogue and in the memories of the writer as she thinks back to her relationship with her father when a little girl. The film is often very moving, full of sentiment, but with a sharp edge as well.

1. Impact of the film, pleasing? Family relationships? Illness and death? Audiences identifying with the characters?

2. Panavision photography, Paris, the French coast, the beautiful scenery, the home, the town? The musical score, the songs, Carolyn as a little girl, These Foolish Things as a refrain?

3. The title, Caroline's viewpoint, of her father, of her memories, of his own memories and nostalgia?

4. Caroline and her story during the opening credits: her father in a wheelbarrow, the souvenirs of places visited? Her identity in relationship with her father? Her creative writing? The relationship between her stories and her life? The flashbacks, herself as a little girl, the party and bringing the poem, her father ignoring her? Sitting on the stairs? She being considered the wild one and the absent sister in Canada scarcely mentioned?

5. Dirk Bogarde's portrait of the father: ill in hospital, after surgery, his response to Caroline? His reflection on the possibilities of death? The nurses, the pain, his stitches? Barbara and her caring for him, relationship with her? Her telling the truth to Caroline? Caroline as a comfort, as a catalyst for change? His memories not of his daughter but of his life, business, the war, his maiden trip? The long talks with Caroline, drinking together, walking, going out, the drive to Cannes and walking amidst the scenery of his youth? Sharing memories? Sharing the truth about pain, recovery? The truth about Mishe? His moods, deafness, the nature of his illness? Meals, tantrums? Antipathy towards Bridge? Avoiding Yvonne? His drinking? His love for his wife, amazed at his life with her, tender love? Her fussiness - and watching the Pope on television? Her not wanting to go out? The stories told, realization and regrets, his zest for life? His response to his daughters' career, marriage, child? The memories of an old and secure world and its graciousness? Reflections on God? His farewell to Caroline, the phone call on the answering -service? His exhorting his daughter to life? What he had learnt in the final month before his death?

6. Jane Birkin as Caroline, her work, relationship with Bernard, with Martin, the phone calls? As a wife, divorced, as a mother? Her career and writing? Hurrying to the bedside, her tenderness with her father, care for him at home, listening? Her own range of moods, especially with her mother? The meals, talking with her mother the cooking, the bath? Avoiding Yvonne? Her writing, crankiness? The flashbacks of herself as a child, her creative writing, her regrets about her father? Drinking with him, going out, learning from him, the Cannes experience? the garage and their talk on serious matters? Talking with Barbara and the truth about his illness? The realizations bought to her by this experience? Her return, the answering service, the last words of her father, the strikes and her trying, to get to his funeral, her future?

7. The importance of father daughter relationships, communicating and talking, mutual appreciation, interests, hurts and healings, needs and opportunities - often too late?

8. Mishe - the French woman who married the Englishman? Rarely using English? the story of the marriage, the love between the two, tolerance as they grew older, his trips, her religion and faith - the Pope, the rosary? Fussy, talking, not wanting to go out, fearing driving? Her strict regime with her husband - his drinking, the Coca Cola? the scenes and tantrums? Her puzzling, her tenderness? with her daughter, the happiest day of her life giving birth to her children? Love, the nights in the storms (and the jokes about sleeping through air raids)? Her talking English, knowing what was happening, the farewell?

9. Bernard and Martin and their background, relationship with Caroline? the phone calls? The next generation?

10. Caroline and her work in the movies, her scripts - and the dramatisation of this in Daddy Nostalgie? Love, intimacy, failure, the passing of time, illness and death? The perceptivity of the film?