MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON
France, 2009, 101 minutes, Colour.
Vincent Lindon, Sandrine Kiberlain, Aure Atika, Arthur Le Hoerou, Jean- Marc Thibault.
Directed by Stephane Brize.
Very French – but most cultures would identify with the characters and the situations. Somebody remarked that they were reminded of Brief Encounter (even with an ending at a railway station), but this film develops its characters with a great attention to detail, quite ordinary characters, living quite ordinary lives in a French provincial town.
Jean (Vincent Lindon, seen more recently as the swimming coach in Welcome) is married to Anne- Marie (Aure Autika) and they have a young son, Jeremie. They seem to be a close-knit family and are initially seen talking homework with Jeremie, especially about verbs and the objective case (not a usual start for a drama). Jean is a serious builder and spends time as well caring for his about to be 80 father. Anne-Marie? works at a printer. Jeremie is an average student and is being taught by a new teacher for the year, Mademoiselle Veronique Chambon (Sandrine Kiberlain, married to Vincent Lindon for ten years and they work very well together).
As mentioned, the film pays great attention to detail, some of the sequences being quite long: Jean washing his father’s feet, Jean invited to talk to the class about his job and answer questions. The audience is immersed in this provincial world.
But, what can happen? What will happen? With a title like Mademoiselle Chambon, we might expect the teacher to be at the centre of a love affair, a tragedy, unrequited love and disappointment (the kind of emotional crisis that Zola or Flaubert wrote about in 19th century France). There is something of this, but the film’s main concern is with Jean in the 21st century. He is particularly introverted and it takes a while for us to appreciate that what we think might be going on in his mind is actually going on. The film moves us in this direction by the use of Mademoiselle Chambon playing the violin and then listening to CDs with Jean.
As the relationship becomes more complex, Jean invites the teacher to play the violin at his father’s 80th birthday party. There is a wonderful sequence of music, sound, nuanced expressions from the cast and, until the end of the piece, no words, played to Elgar’s. This sequence indicates emotionally but very clearly what is happening.
In many ways the characters are quite reserved and generally behave in a reserved manner. So, it is quite a shock when Jean reacts angrily and completely unreasonably to his wife’s suggestion of a buffet for his father’s party. He is then aggressively angry at the building site. But, almost completely, this is a film of interiors, of feelings, of infatuation, of live, of infidelity and, ultimately, of decisions. Bittersweet.
1. A satisfying French drama? Intense but low-key restrained? Yet passionate?
2. The parallels with Brief Encounter? Credibility of characters, situations, behaviour, decisions, emotional and moral decisions?
3. The town, its ordinariness, ordinary people, the builder, the wife working in a printery, homes, schools, apartments? The railway station as a place for the climax?
4. The musical score, the violin, the music of Elgar? Emotional? The points of insertion of music in the narrative?
5. The family and family life, Jean and Anne- Marie, Jeremie? The opening, together, discussing verbs and direct objects? At home, the meals, Anne-Marie? cooking, Jeremie doing his homework?
6. Anne-Marie? at work, hurting her back, coming home, the family care? A good wife and mother?
7. Jean and his work at the site, the phone call, meeting Jeremie at school, meeting Veronique? Meeting her again, being late? Her invitation to speak to the class, the long sequence of his explanation of his job to the class, taking questions from the wide range of children, enjoying it? Veronique and her affirmation?
8. Jean’s father, age, Jean taking care of him, washing his feet? The preparation for the party? The later visits? The father at the party, the gifts, Veronique playing for him, enjoying it?
9. Veronique and the window, Jean’s visit, the agreement, his work and the detail? Veronique asleep? His seeing the violin, asking her to play, her refusal, not wanting to face him? Finally playing, the effect, listening to the CDs, the quiet sitting on the couch? His response to Anne-Marie’s? wanting to invite Veronique for lunch, feigning a detachment?
10. His return, the CDs, listening, the kiss, the awkwardness and his leaving? His infatuation? Her response? His becoming edgy, snapping at his wife about the buffet? Breaking the tool at work? His wife announcing her pregnancy, his reaction, low-key? Shopping? Anne- Marie confronting him as they tried to buy things for the baby’s room? His denial?
11. The preparation for the party, the argument, his sister’s living away? The party itself, the buffet? Anne- Marie watching Jean as Veronique played the violin, realising the truth?
12. The playing of the Elgar piece, the non-verbals, the communication of each character, awareness?
13. Jean, in the car, the vigil outside Veronique’s house, the phone call, her not answering, his leaving the note?
14. Veronique, her life, her past, her continually moving, plans, teaching, her success as a teacher, the principal urging her to stay on? Discussing this with Jean? Her mother’s phone call, her sister’s achievement, the contrast with Veronique? Her decision to go, playing at the party, her invitation to Jean, the sexual encounter, Jean’s promise to leave?
15. Veronique going to the station, Jean late, stopping at the foot of the stairs, waiting for the train to go? Veronique on the station, anxious, finally getting in the train?
16. Jean going home, his bag, Anne- Marie seeing this, their mundane talk at the table, the retreating camera, the bars on the window?
17. The question of where audience sympathies lay, Anne- Marie as a good woman, being hurt? Veronique, her affections, being led on, her being hurt? Jean and the crisis, handling it, infidelity, prepared to leave?
18. A film about the reality of ordinary lives?
