A writer, an actor and a would-be chanteuse pursue elusive glory in this wise and worldly comedy of artistic aspiration. With Sandrine Kiberlain, Emilie Dequenne, Denis Podalydès
A writer, an actor and a would-be chanteuse pursue elusive glory in this wise and worldly comedy of artistic aspiration.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2009
The Artist’s Life 2007
La Vie d’artiste
Creative pursuit and its hazards are examined in this smart Parisian comedy that combines incisive observation with a mischievous lightness of touch. Alice's lucrative dubbing work for Japanese anime has caused her to stray from the sacred stage, which she confidently feels is missing her as much as she hankers after it. Provincial Cora, decidedly out of sync with contemporary trends, reveres the poetic ballad tradition of French song; she is ready to take her place in the chanteuse pantheon once she records her album. A lousy high school teacher, Bertrand's true vocation is writing; he desperately must follow up his debut novel with his second, only the plot is proving elusive. Beguiled by their respective muses and, more importantly, by themselves, all three are blind to reality and to their sometimes appalling behaviour. Disaster ensues, followed by a deeper knowledge about their true talents, as beneficial for all three as it is satisfying for us. — SR