POUPOUPIDOU/ NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU
France, 2011, 102 minutes, Colour.
Jean- Paul Rouve, Sophie Quinton, Guillaume Gouix, Arsinee Khanjian.
Directed by Gerald Hustache- Mathieu.
1. The fascination with Marilyn Monroe, fifty years after her death? Marilyn Monroe in herself, her life story, her career, her image, as a world icon? Audiences responding to Marilyn Monroe, the parallels in her life with this story? The people in her life, career? Conspiracy theories?
2. The title, the song from Some Like it Hot, as sung by Martine, the title and the tone of the film?
3. A French story? A winter story? The town, the countryside, the river, the ice? Workplaces? The world of wealth, poverty? Ordinary life and celebrity life? The TV, the weather girl? Media, clubs?
4. David Rousseau and the will, getting the stuffed dog, on the icy road, his expectations – change?
5. David as a writer, the pressure from the publisher, his writer’s block, discussions, failing to write, excited by the discovery of the body?
6. The dog, in the ice, finding the body under the ice? Contacting the police? His own decision to investigate?
7. How well did the film show the parallels with Norm Jean Baker turning into Marilyn Monroe? Martine’s background, her childhood, her needs, her being discovered, the name-change to Candice, the photo shoots, paralleling those of Marilyn Monroe, especially the nude spread? Films, celebrity? The fans? Her sportsman husband? The literary reviewer? Parallels of Joe Di Maggio and Arthur Miller? The local government authority, his interest in her, her relationship with him? His brother warning her off? The parallel with the Kennedys? Her singing Happy Birthday to the official? The official’s wife and her reaction? Her death – and her reliving an iconic life?
8. The investigation, uncovering the leads, the interviews with the psychologist, the visits to the police? The commander, the police assistant, his working with David? The documentation? The research?
9. Martine’s character, as a person, the change, the advertisement, her success, the TV tantrum, her letters to David and his discovery of them afterwards? The authorities and her death? The role of the psychologist?
10. The assistant policeman, his character, becoming more involved, discussions with David?
11. A different kind of thriller? The detection? The parallel with writing detective stories? The connection with Marilyn Monroe? The story of Martine? And the irony of her having written to David – and what might have happened had he met her?
