LA VIE REVEE DES ANGES (THE DREAMLIFE OF ANGELS)

France, 1998, 113 minutes, Colour.
Elodie Bouchez, Natacha Regnier, Gregoire Colin.
Directed by Erick Zonca.

The Dreamlife of Angels was an impressive film debut from French director Erick Zonca. Previously he had made two short films. Subsequently he has made only two films, Le Petit Voleur and Julia.

The film is set in Lisle, the city of the Dardenne brothers, the location for their many films including The Son, The Child, The Silence of Lorna.

The film focuses on the rather mundane lives of two young women, the outgoing Isa, played by Elodie Bouchet and the more serious, somewhat embittered Marie, played by Natacha Regnier. They meet up, decide to share an apartment. Isa is outgoing and becomes a reader for a young ill girl, the daughter of the woman whose apartment they are renting. In the meantime, Marie becomes infatuated with a club boss, Gregoire Colin, and, despite warnings, becomes infatuated with him.

The film is a strong character study of two young women, their dreams of what life might have been, the realities of life in later 20th century France.

1.The acclaim for the film? The Lisle settings, the late 1990s, the working-class areas, streets and houses, the club, going to the coast? The musical score?

2.The title and the application to Isa, to Marie?

3.The 1990s, young women, employment, unemployment, social situations, relationships, hope and hopelessness?

4.The film and the use of imagination, images and dreams? The blend of realism and naturalism?

5.Isa’s story, her wandering around the town, selling the cards, talking with people, looking for a house, the sewing, the meeting with Marie, the lunch, her being sacked?

6.The two women and their friendship, going to the house, the story of the house, the mother and Sandrine in hospital? Having a look at the house, the friendship with Charly and Fredo? Cheeky, the relationship, on and off, the clubs, the job offers?

7.The hospital and Isa going, her being moved, waiting, finding Sandrine’s diary, reading it, Marie being negative? Sandrine’s story? Her illness, Isa and her care, the gift, the recovery? Not visiting – but coming to life again?

8.Marie and her story, her character, alienated, yet pleasant? Helping people? The skating job? Inviting Isa to the house? The club, encountering Chriss? People being negative about him, her infatuation with him? Her being ousted, the return? The note, jumping and her death? The computer factory?

9.Marie and her being hurt by life, her sewing, friendship, the house, not going to Sandrine, her following Isa, sharing, Charly, the relationship, shoplifting? Chriss and her going with him, the sexual relationship, the hotel, her taking a stance against Isa? The fight at the club? The new dress and the kiss? At the sea, her being dropped by Chriss, the fight with Isa, death?

10.The characters of Charly and Fredo, in themselves, in relationship to the two women?

11.Chriss and his type, the club, callow, using people, on-and-off relationships? Marie and her infatuation and its plausibility? Isa and the others and their hostility?

12.Factory life, the skates? The clubs? Housing and buying houses?

13.An authentic atmosphere, a portrait of the two young women, eliciting audience empathy? Regrets and hopes?