EVA
France, 2018, 100 minutes, Colour.
Isabelle Huppert, Gaspard Ulliel, Julia Roy, Marc Barbe, Richard Berry.
Directed by Benoit Jacquot.
This is a 21st-century adaptation of a novel of the 1940s by James Hadley Chase, with a French setting. It is a contemporary film noir, harking back to the 1940s, although there was a film version of Eva directed by Joseph Losey in the early 1960s with Jeanne Moreau and Stanley Baker.
The film focuses on a young man played by Gaspard Ulliel, contracted to home help for an exiled British playwright living in Paris (a touch of the Oscar Wilde) who has fallen on hard times, is failing physically, but has written a play. While the young man is helping to bathe the playwright, he dies. So, the young man takes the manuscript, and the next thing we see is that there has been a successful theatre season and that audiences and producers are clamouring for more.
While the young man relishes his success, he also tries to avoid the limelight, quite unsure as to what he is to do next. He is encouraged by the producer. His encouraged by his girlfriend.
One of his devices for getting some kind of lead for a new work is to jot down pieces of conversation that he hears. When his girlfriend suggests he goes to a mountain chalet owned by her family, he does but immediately discovers people inside. He ousts a man who turns out to be a client of an older prostitute whom he finds in the bath – but she hits him and he escapes.
When he comes across her again, he is fascinated, more than fascinated, has conversations with her, transcribes pieces of their discussions, learns more about him – although she is reticent about the truth of her prostitution, raising money for her husband who is in jail and for his court case while pretending that he is an international traveller.
The young man’s interest in the prostitute become something of an obsession, partly sexual, but partly intrigued by her character, her behaviour, her intentions.
When his girlfriend unexpectedly arrives at chalet, it is time for melodrama, for a car chase, for a car accident, for the young man to be injured, for the prostitute to be more involved with her husband.
While the film does come to something of an end, a crossroads for the characters, we are left to surmise what might happen to each of them and why.
1. a film noir? From the novel of the 1940s? British writer, American screen adaptations? 21st-century film noir? With gloss?
2. The Paris settings, the apartment, the theatre? The contrast with the Alps, and the sea, the town, the lake, hotels, the chalet, the countryside? The theatre, hospital? The musical score?
3. The title, the application of Eve, temptation, Eden and Paradise lost?
4. The prologue, Thomas and his services, the old playwright, his reputation, doing an Oscar Wilde in Paris, writing the new play, Passwords, having his bath, wanting Thomas to get in, his sudden attack and death? Thomas, decisions, taking the manuscript?
5. The success of the play, the audiences? Regis as producer? Julia’s girlfriend? Thomas’s celebrity, leaving the theatre, wanting to leave the party early? Expectations of him, writing new play? His life like? Writer’s block? Listening to people, the conversation, writing down the lines, the computer? Is secrecy? His moods?
6. Audience interest in Thomas, his double life and its effect, his being a thief? How much sympathy?
7. Julie, advising him to go to the chalet? The drive, finding either and her client, ousting the client into the cold, either in the bath, the confrontation, the violence?
8. Eva, her life, work as a prostitute, high-class, her clients? She dress and manner? A rage? The truth, her husband in jail, making money for his release? Her friendship with Marian?
9. Thomas, his pursuit of Eva, finding her, the money she charged? His interest, interactions, writing down the dialogue? Time, the money, her secrets? The husband travelling? Thomas playing for the meal, the wine, drinking and staying the night? The conflict, the touches of violence?
10. The text, Julie reading it, saying that spark?
11. Julie, the news of Regis’s death, grief, hospital? Going to the chalet, discovering Eva? Driving, the crash, her death? Thomas telling Eva to leave the car, getting out, going back to the accident?
12. Eva, attacks on Thomas, his being hospital, time passing? Seeing Eva and Marian going to the movies, with her husband for the drink? Eva at eye contact warning him to go away?
13. The future? Thomas and the play? Peter and his obsession? Eva and her life and her husband?
