By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Sofie Fillières
Starring: Bruno Todeschini | Bulle Ogier | Emmanuelle Devos | Lambert Wilson | Michael Lonsdale
Original language title: Gentille
Country: france
Year: 2006
Running time: 102
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434969/
Bruce says: “This film is the story of Fontaine Leglou (Emmanuelle Devos) who is caught by surprise when the man she lives with (Bruno Todeschini) proposes marriage. Why is it so difficult to say ‘yes’ to what every woman is supposed to want? She does accept the ring, then proceeds to swallow it. The symbolism of her action is obviously symbolic. Hopefully the scene in which she retrieves the ring is not meant to be symbolic, merely a practical necessity.
“Fontaine has a fairly stable life and a solid relationship, so we think. But we are constantly thrown off guard by her behavior which is consistently unexpected. She accuses a stranger of following her; she sits like a tourist along the Seine having her portrait done in caricature; and she behaves somewhat unprofessionally towards a psychiatric patient in the hospital where she is a medical doctor, not a psychiatrist.
“Emmanuelle Devos is quite intriguing in her role. In the past I have been perturbed by her choice of portraying her characters as cookie-cutter passive aggressives. Here, albeit displaying borderline abnormal behavior, she avoids giving us any feeling that she is manipulating those around her. Devos does not overplay Fontaine’s internal struggle.
“Michael Lonsdale and Bulle Ogier play Fontaine’s kooky parents, and once we meet them we get a better understanding of Fontaine’s behavior. Bruno Todeschini plays the part of the tried and true fiancé well. The questionable character in the film is Phillipe, the psychiatric patient. Although he is played effectively by Lambert Wilson, he does not add as much to the plot as intended. 3 cats
GOOD GIRL was shown as part of the Rendezvous with French Cinema Festival ant Lincoln Center”