Quand j'étais chanteur (2006)
Directed by Xavier Giannoli

Film Review

With his third and best film to date, director Xavier Giannoli continues to pick up plaudits from the critics and is fast gaining a reputation as one of France's most promising young filmmakers.  Although possibly less interesting than his previous Les corps impatient (2003) and Une aventure (2005), Quand j'étais chanteur is a well-realised depiction of a romance across the generation gap, convincingly portrayed by Gérard Depardieu and Cécile De France, well-written and stylishly directed.

Fans of the great Gérard Depardieu - of whom there are legion - will be delighted to see the actor crooning the many songs in this film entirely undubbed, and doing quite a respectable job of it.  It may only be a matter of time before Depardieu embarks on a new career as a singer....  Cécile De France is no less impressive and is perfectly cast in the part of a fragile young woman who, with one one failed relationship under her belt, seems unwilling and unable to make a fresh start.  It is her moving on-screen rapport with Depardieu that makes this film so poignant and so memorable.

Film Synopsis

Alain Moreau is a singer in his fifties who earns a modest crust by performing at private functions and lonely heart clubs in his home town, Clermont-Ferrand.  One evening, a friend of his, an estate agent named Bruno, introduces him to his colleagues, who include Marion, a woman in her late twenties.  Instantly drawn to Marion, Alain is surprised to learn that she is a single mother who, despite her full-time job, manages to bring up a six-year-old child by herself.  Alain and Marion seem to have much in common - both are solitary individuals who are drifting through life with no clear objective in sight.  They spend the night together, but the next day Marion leaves without saying a word.  When Alain sees her again, she insists that she is not looking for a relationship.  Realising that Marion needs him as much as he needs her, Alain continues to see her by posing as a house hunter...