Plot Summary
Audrey Tautou stars in famed director Claude Miller’s final film, a gorgeously photographed adaptation of François Mauriac’s legendary 1927 novel about one woman’s fight for love against the social norms of French provincial life. In the pine-forested Landes region in southwest France, young Thérèse (Tautou) has married wealthy but arrogant Bernard Desqueyroux (Gilles Lellouche) and is now part of the oppressively traditionalist Desqueyroux family. Although able to live in the lap of luxury, Thérèse soon realizes that her role is to be forever subservient to Bernard. When her best friend Anna (Anaïs Demoustier) falls madly in love with a handsome young Portuguese man, Thérèse is tasked to persuade Anna to forego her planned nuptials. But as she witnesses first-hand Anna’s passionate determination to keep her lover by her side, Thérèse finds her own desire growing and soon sets out to free herself from the provincial conventions that threaten to keep her forever repressed.
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Customer Reviews
totally underwhelmed!
I love Audrey Tautou and when I found this title I was really hopeful I’d found an underrated gem…sadly…nope! performances were listless, and when the plot was meant to come to a boiling point, I went to check if there was something wrong with the burner. This movie was meant to speak about a woman trapped in a world she can’t express herself in, but there was barely a struggle, and the passion the movie displayed as a comparison to her lack of, was so brief and barely there. Would not recommend- and would recommend against. : (
Good response, to trite entitlement & unjustified arrogance...
a Decent movie… Similar to a euro/indie version of Jane Eyre or Girl w/ Pearl Earring - yet without the Hollywood tweaking…satisfying, but not quite classic. She marries for Love, companionship & her adoration and curiosity to push the relationship is quickly stifled as the man she chose does not reciprocate and has an entirely different view of marriage and enslaves his wife (Tautou). His needs are warped as Love translates to him as loyalty, obedience and utter lack of empathy toward his wife, and women in general. As many of this time and social norms, his wife is a piece of property, unequal in worth to decide or speak for herself, and basically an insight to how many men are so insecure, ego-centic, and are allowed to behave on these fears of inadequacy publicly, and with cruelty to mask their distortions of their ego- because of the times and the women allow it. As a male in 2013, I wanted to help her out and beat the crap out of the guy… although she proves to be strong having gone through this, and is capable of serving justice just fine. Well worth a rental… Not going to knock your socks off, and probably won't linger in your mind days later, but better than expected. I can't see owning the movie or adding it to your collection of favorites… I hope this helps. I rented it with No reviews to get a feel of what I was in for with this movie… MJ from Atlanta
Hated It.
I love Audrey Tautou. She is a fine actress. However, this film was absolutely awful to watch. It was extremely depresssing with no end in sight. I actually watched this in a theatre where Audrey Tautou was speaking after the film. If it weren't for her appearance, I would have walked out about half-way through. I don't recommend this film at all. it is absolutely exhausting to sit through.
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- $12.99
- Genre: Drama
- Released: 2013
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