Milos Forman, Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni in “The Beloved” directed by Christophe Honoré.
While American actresses over the age of 40 struggle with their identity and American filmmakers predictably write for a youth-obsessed mentality. French cinema continues to be alive and well for actresses of all ages.
The term “aging gracefully” is nowhere more evident than in France. French actresses like Isabelle Huppert, Fanny Ardant, Line Renaud and Danielle Darrieux (ranging from their mid-50’s to mid-90’s) all continue to work steadily and receive rave reviews for their work. None, however, enjoy the worldwide acclaim of France’s most recognizable and “Beloved” actress, 68-year old Catherine Deneuve.
Last year, Deneuve scored yet another international winner with the François Ozon-directed comedy, “Potiche.” The film took in nearly $20 million in the worldwide market.
This year, Deneuve returns alongside her daughter, Chiara Mastroianni, in “The Beloved” (“Les Bien-Aimes”) directed by Christophe Honoré. The film, a modern-day musical, is a stunning reflection on a somewhat disjointed family’s journey from the mid-1960’s through the events of September 11th. Though paying stylistic tribute to legendary filmmaker, Jacques Demy, Honoré keeps the film 100% contemporary.
Luckily, for American audiences and fans of Catherine Deneuve, Sundance Selects has picked up the distribution rights for the US and the film will premiere in New York sometime after the first of 2012.
by Jackie Sanders
