The new light-as-a-feather delight from French Film Festival favourite Anne Fontaine (Nathalie…, In His Hands) brings together a group of dissimilar characters and offers them all a chance to finally fulfil their dreams.
Retirement home resident Odette St. Giles (a radiant Danielle Darrieux) meets Augustin (Jean-Chrétien Sibertin-Blanc) when she comes backstage to congratulate him on the one man show he’s just put on for the oldsters. Long ago, she was the toast of Paris as an operetta entertainer, and their meeting inspires Augustin to attempt to stage a play with Odette to be based on the correspondence of the Marquise du Deffand (an eighteenth-century hostess of artistic salons who was known for her intelligence and esprit). Augustin draws mainstream television star Bettina (Arielle Dombasle), handsome social worker Raphaël (Andy Gillet) and the oddly out-of-place Franck (Christophe Vandevelde) into his frenetic orbit to round out the cast of players.
Darrieux, celebrating her seventh decade in showbiz, is just one excellent reason to see OH LA LA! Briskly paced and keenly realized, Fontaine again shows her finesse as an actors’ director - and the sparkling relationships that are brought engrossingly to life as the play takes shape are utterly delightful.
France 2006 - Drama (90 mins)
In French with English Subtitles
Director: Anne Fontaine
Script: Anne Fontaine, Julien Boivent
Cast: Danielle Darrieux, Arielle Dombasle,
Jean-Chrétien Sibertin-Blanc, Andy Gillet, Christophe Vandevelde