Nathalie...
Nathalie... is a 2003 French drama film directed by Anne Fontaine, and starring Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Béart, and Gérard Depardieu. The screenplay concerns a woman who discovers that her husband is cheating on her.
| Nathalie... | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Anne Fontaine |
| Produced by | Alain Sarde |
| Screenplay by | Anne Fontaine Jacques Fieschi François-Olivier Rousseau |
| Based on | An original idea by Philippe Blasband |
| Starring | Fanny Ardant Gérard Depardieu Emmanuelle Béart |
| Music by | Michael Nyman |
| Cinematography | Jean-Marc Fabre |
| Edited by | Emmanuelle Castro |
Production company | Mars Distribution |
| Distributed by | Koch-Lorber Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | France Spain |
| Language | French |
| Budget | $7.4 million |
| Box office | $8.7 million[1] |
Plot
Catherine, a gynaecologist in her forties, accidentally learns that her husband Bernard, a businessman, has cheated on her.[2] She hires an upmarket prostitute, who works as a hairdresser, to seduces her husband and tell her the details of their meetings. She asks the girl to play a character for this and to be called Nathalie.[3] Nathalie accepts and a very ambiguous relationship is created between the two women. Nathalie uses very crude words to describe her meetings with Bernard.[4] Many times the contract between the two women is broken (because it goes too far or because Catherine is no longer sure of what she wants) but each time Catherine relaunches the relationship.
The two women get so close that when Nathalie finds herself homeless, Catherine finds her new accommodation, she also introduces Nathalie to her mother. The relationship is complicated when Nathalie, still playing her role, announces to Catherine that Bernard wants to live with her. Catherine asks for explanations from her husband who swears that he has no other woman in his life. Perplexed, Catherine leads Bernard into the bistro which is her meeting place with Nathalie. When Nathalie enters the establishment and sees the couple, she flees. Nathalie then confides in Catherine that she made everything up and that she never met Bernard. Catherine decides to "forgive and forget".[2]
Cast
- Fanny Ardant as Catherine
- Gérard Depardieu as Bernard
- Emmanuelle Béart as Nathalie / Marlène
- Wladimir Yordanoff as François
- Judith Magre as Catherine's mother
The role of Nathalie was initially to be played by Vanessa Paradis, but the actress had to decline the role because of pregnancy.
Reception
Nathalie... received generally positive reviews, currently holding a 73% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[5] On Metacritic, which uses an average of critics' reviews, the film holds a 69/100 rating, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
Remake
Director Atom Egoyan remade the film in 2009 under the title Chloe.[7] The film stars Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried. A reviewer in the New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weizmann) contrasting the original with the remake says Egoyan "Having adapted a film—via Erin Cressida Wilson's screenplay—from an erotic French drama called Nathalie, Egoyan appears convinced that he's creating a suspenseful work of art, rather than a mildly kinky bit of arthouse exploitation."[7] However, in his self-promotion, the director of the remake, Egoyan, described Chloe as more erotically charged than Nathalie...[8]
References
- "Nathalie (2004)". www.jpbox-office.com. JPBox-Office. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- Schager, Nick (7 April 2006). "Review: Nathalie…". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- Bradshaw, Peter (16 July 2004). "Nathalie ... | Reviews". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- Cavagna, Carlo (December 2004). "Nathalie... (2003)". www.aboutfilm.com. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- Nathalie... at Rotten Tomatoes
- Nathalie... at Metacritic
- "Atom Egoyan's 'Chloe,' starring Julianne Moore, is a tacky 'Fatal Attraction' for the lesbian set" by Elizabeth Weizmann
- 'Heroic' Neeson helped ready Chloe for TIFF, by Peter Howell