Madame x

Gustav Flaubert's celebrated novel of obsessive ardour undergoes a dazzling retrofit for the screen, courtesy of French neurosis-master Claude Chabrol. The basic story (a woman's selfish quest for happiness ends up obliterating all she holds dear) may be the same but Chabrol's talent for biting through to the dark marrow of passion makes this a startling experience, even for people familiar with the source material or the numerous other cinematic adaptations. Casting Isabelle Huppert in the title role (she's at least a decade older than the standard conception of this wilfully tragic heroine) was a potentially risky gambit that paid off big; underneath her glorious surface lies a startling foundation of brilliant ice. The same can be said about this stunning film. Viewers intrigued by this potent actress-director pairing may also want to check out The Story of Women and the wonderful La Ceremonie. The film is in French with English subtitles.

In the Paris of the late 19th century, Louise, wife of a general, sells the earrings her husband gave her as a wedding gift: she needs money to cover her debts. The general secretly buys the earrings again and gives them to his mistress, Lola, leaving to go to Constantinople. Where an Italian diplomat, Baron Donati, buys them. Back to Paris, Donati meets Louise… So now Louise discovers love and becomes much less frivolous.

Take away a bad attempt at trendiness "Why You Wanna See My Bad Side," a dullard "Feeling You, Feeling Me," a metaphoric disaster "Shoe Soul," and Love Breeze isn't half bad. The shimmering, floating "Daylight And Darkness" is a mesmerizer depicting his wife's dual personality. Claudette, an ex wife now, is a Gemini, an astrological sign known for split personalities. Smokey sings the stinging lyrics as if he's trying to penetrate Claudette's soul. The upbeat, romping "Love's So Fine," is a finger snapper that grabs you immediately. A soft, slow "I'm Loving You Softly" reeks of romanticism, while "Trying It Again," an uptempo romper, featuring a looping bassline, has a long, spirited fade with Smokey competing with the bass player for bragging rights.

A man is kidnapped by his ex-girlfriend on his wedding day and sexually tortured. When his wife finally runs into him after 3 months - the man finds that even though he still loves his wife - he can no longer perform sexually for her as he's been "broken" and turned into his ex-girlfriend's sex-slave. Meanwhile - his fiancé has started an affair with his brother which complicates things further. The man's ex-girlfriend decides to invite the fiancé, her new boyfriend, and that guy's ex-girlfriend over for a "chat" - of course this turns into an orgy of sexual sadism as you would expect from this sort of thing…

This is clearly a very original film. Sokurov uses "Madame Bovary" as his inspiration, and transforms hidden desires and longing of the protagonist into metaphysical beauty. You can't say there's much "happening" in the film. It owes more to painting than to drama, and that's what makes it so stunning. The inner life of the characters is still the centerpoint. Sokurov and his photography team turn reality into something akin of icon-art, twisting and distorting visual image into fantastic forms.

Madame Freedom is the most famous work and biggest success of the 1950s, and is also the film that aroused the most arguments in the history of Korean cinema, dealing with the affair of a professor’s wife. This film must also be noted historically for presenting the commercial potential of the genre of the modern drama for the first time. The DVD includes an introduction of the piece that explores the era when the film was made and the film’s significance in Korean film history, as well as a foreword written by director Han Hyeong-mo. More notably, actor Lee Min, who played the part of Shin Choon-ho, the college student who has an affair with Madame Oh, the wife of a professor, recounts the social and cultural setting of the ‘50s in the 40 minute documentary portion that is added as a special feature to the DVD.

Varied as it is, the music of Francis Cabrel never strays far from his basic songwriting tools: the acoustic guitar and gentle reflections on life. His clear voice and clean guitar are ever the focus of his songs. Around this core he weaves contemporary folk, blues rock, French pop, smooth jazz, and even classical sounds. His lyrics have received much attention among French-speaking audiences and critics, and his albums sell well in those circles.