TATIE DANIELLE

France, 1990, 112 minutes, Colour.
Tsilla Chelton, Catherine Jacob.
Directed by Etienne Chatillez

Tatie Danielle is a film that is both appealing and appalling. It is the collaboration between Etienne Chatiliez, director, and Florence Quentin, writer. Their previous film was the successful Life is a Long Quiet River.

With Tatie Danielle they have created a screen monster. She is brought to extraordinary life by the actress Tsilla Chelton. She is unforgettable. Tatie Danielle is a very selfish old woman who lives in Auxerre, the widow of a colonel to whose photo she talks each night. She is also a tyrant, driving her housekeeper, Odile, mad. However, she has a sympathetic German Shepherd called On Your Mark. She makes life difficult for everybody, getting her own way with every whim. She wanders around the town, causing mischief, spurning beggars, spying on people. When she causes Odile's death, the perfectly nice family who come to visit her annually (which she abhors), take her into their home after she has divided the inheritance between them. She again causes misery to them all. Eventually, they go on a holiday and they employ Sandrine to look after her. In Sandrine, Tatie Danielle meets her match. There is an ironic ending where the exasperated family comes together, feeling guilty about their treatment of Tatie Danielle and brought to court, but vindicated. Tatie Danielle runs away and is last seen enjoying herself at a ski resort with Sandrine.

Tatie Danielle is truly a monster. What she does is often appalling. While the family might be silly in their own ways, they certainly don't deserve Auntie's treatment. One laughs, one is amazed - and even appalled.

1.The success of this film in French cinema? Overseas? The French style, sensibilities?

2.The city of Auxerre, of Paris? The contrast between town and city? Homes, shops, streets - the contemporary atmosphere? The musical score, especially the opening and the ending?

3.The focus on Tatie, the strength of performance by the actress, her screen presence? Appearance, looking into the screen, her quizzical eyes? Humour, ironic? Repellent? Any audience sympathy for Tatie? Anger with her behaviour? Audiences able to identify with her or not?

4.Her age, widowhood? The photo of Edouard, cross-eyed? Dead 50 years? The dog called after his campaign? Her continued talking to him, the comfort of her life? Insight into her? How sane, how insane? Her cruelty towards Odile, making her do all kinds of work, clean the chandelier, go messages, drive the car? Waking her up in the night, wanting food, opening doors when Odile shut them? Her reading, yet spying on Odile, looking out the window? Going out devouring the food, the cakes? Her nastiness around the town, with beggars? Causing traffic difficulties? The bank? Odile and the chandelier, her death? Her use of On Your Mark?

5.The letter arriving from the family, the preparation for the visit, seeing it as a treat? Her disdainful attitude towards the relatives? Getting presents? Looking down her nose at them? Odile's death, the funeral, the dividing up of the property, the decisions, the house, the dog? The visit from the neighbour and the neighbourly tenderness? Tatie's ridiculing of them?

6.Tatie's nephew and his wife? His working in computers, her beauty parlour? At the visit? His pleasant office, nice house? Tatie's going to the house? Their trying to cope? Catherine and her attentions? The children? Her nephew? His sister and her relationship? Coming into the house? Critical? Catherine, the phone calls, Agathe and the clients? Catherine at work in the beauty parlour and the whims of the clients? The little boy playing, drawing, Tatie losing him in the park and his being upset? The older son, his studies, his friends, the dancing, the latent homosexuality? The way they were all treated? The behaviour at home with the meals, the food, tantrums, clothes? The family and their exasperation, the advertisement, the interviews, employing Sandrine? The characters of the family - neatly drawn with sympathy and satire? The sister and her pregnancy?

7.Tatie and home, her relationship with each of the family, eating, being sick, talking to Edouard?

8.The build-up to the vacation, Sandrine, her arrival, the interview with Catherine, her treatment of Tatie, the wetting the bed, the slaps, the food, Tatie apologising? Her boyfriend and his staying? The question of the money, the loan, the car? Going out, sharing with Sandrine, Sandrine receiving the gift of the scarab? Tatie liking her?

9.Sandrine and Michael, going out, Tatie and her reaction, being sick, setting the fire, drinking? The destruction of the house? The rescue, sympathies, the hospitals, the media?

10.The family returning from holidays, the attack on them, the media, the interviews, the police? The final emerging of the truth? Their exhaustion?

11.Her going to the old people's home? Her treatment of everybody there, the TV lady, her nastiness to everyone? The staff and their lack of sympathy? Bringing it on herself?

12.Sandrine, her return, the disaster? Going off? Tatie running away? Sandrine and Tatie at the ski resort - mirror images of each other? Two of a kind?

13.The presentation of nice people and nasty people? Seriously? Humorously? The effect of watching this family and Auntie's interactions? (And the advertisement line: You haven't met her yet and she already hates you.)