ETUDIANT ET MONSIEUR HENRI, L’/ THE STUDENT AND MR HENRY

Friends, 2015, 98 minutes, Colour.
Claude Brasseur, Guillaume de Tonquedex, Noemie Schmidt, Frederique Bel, Thomas Soiliveres.
Directed by Ivan Calberac.

This is a film which could be described as “typically French�. The centre of the story is a young girl from the country, Constance, Noemie Schmidt, stuck with pressure from her parents, working with her father but wanting to go to the University. When she gets to Paris, she finds accommodation with a crotchety old widower, played by veteran actor Claude Brasseur. He interviews potential students and decides on Constance because he disapproves of his daughter-in-law and his seemingly ineffectual son and wants Constance to break up the marriage.

Constance is a mischievous character in herself, leading the son on at times, becoming friendly with his wife, clashing with the old man. Part of the seriousness of the humour is the effect on the son who does become infatuated with Constance – but his wife becomes pregnant.

There is also the conflict with her father and his demands that she come back home.

However, she is a musician, even composing, and the old widower eventually suggest to her that she go to the London School of Music and, behind the scenes, organises her interview with the authorities. It does not work out as intended originally, but…

1. A serious comedy? French style?

2. The Paris settings, streets, shops, university? Apartments and interiors? The contrast with all Orleans? Homes, gardens, the market? The musical score?

3. The introduction to Constance? Her age, experience, difficulties with her father, mixing things up at the market, his criticising her? Her relationship with her mother, her brother? Wanting to go to university? Her failing courses? Her determination?

4. Going to Paris, going to the apartment, meeting Henri? The advertisement, crotchety? The tour of the apartment, his criticisms? The interviews with other students? His ringing Constance, picking her name out of the hat?

5. Henri, age and experience, his wife dead for 30 years, cleaning the windows, falling, her drinking? His grief? Living by himself? An accountant, his firm, yet not liking his work? His attitude towards his son, criticisms, disliking his daughter-in-law? The proposal to Constance, to sabotage the marriage, to make herself attractive, to stimulate his son, to break up the marriage? Her reluctance, her acceptance?

6. Constance in the apartment, using Henri’s slippers, the issue of the piano and its being locked? The meals, watching television with Henri? His continued grumpiness, criticisms, misanthropic?

7. Constance, the studies, eventually failing and her disappointment? Going out on the town, the club, the musician and her relationship? Meeting Paul, deciding to lure him on? The information about his swimming, favourite book, sayings? Going to the pool, coming home, his attraction to Constance? Taking him to the club, his letting his hair down? Arriving late, Constance not contacting him?

8. Paul, his age, his job, seeing through his father yet subject to him? 10 years marriage to Valerie? The coming for the meal, Hilary bringing the crumble? Returning for the dish, Constance being sick? Her moving out, wanting the divorce, Paul summoned to the lawyer?

9. The irony of Valerie becoming pregnant, Paul attributing it to Constance and her rejection? Joy, telling his father, yet wanting Valerie to make the announcement?

10. Henri and Constance, talking, his becoming more mellow, the playing the piano, memories of his wife? The flight about the London School of Music? Urging her on, going to Orleans to get the recommendation? Her decision to leave, confronting her father, defying him, coming back into the apartment? The months of practice, going to London, the
performance – yet her failing and her determination to go back next year planning and composition?

11. The film about the generation gap, differences – reconciliation, his letter to Constance, the apartment for her and the piano?