We've been in this adult-thrown-together-with-child territory before and not that long ago with Le Papillon and La Belle Marthe, both excellent examples of the genre. This has elements of both but is closer in locale and for want of a better expression meet-cute to Le Papillon inasmuch as the protagonists in Marthe were not only related but also the same sex, Aunt and Niece, whilst in Le Papillon the child was more or less neglected by her single-parent mother and so latched on to Michel Serrault and here a similar set-up obtains albeit one with a slight twist. We establish that Etienne Vollard (Olivier Gourmet) is both a mountaineer and a used-book seller, not the most credible combination but hey, this is a movie, right, and similarly establish that Pascal Blanchot (Marie-Josee Croze) is a single mother with a genuine affection for her daughter Eva (Bertille-Noel Bruneau) but not much of a clue about motherhood itself ergo she falls asleep in front of TV when she should be collecting Eva from school. Eva subsequently attempts to make her own way home, panics when she gets lost and runs in front of Etienne's van. For a while she is comatose in hospital and the doctors urge Pascal to talk to her constantly but little more than a child herself - at one point she describes herself to Etienne as a child with a daughter - Pascal opts out and it is left to Etienne, a part-time savant who retains every word he's ever read, to do the honours. In time Eva recovers consciousness but will only walk if Etienne holds her hand. Pascal finds work in another town and prevails upon Etienne to maintain visits to Eva as he is, in effect, the only game in town. When Eva's condition deteriorates he drives to the town where Pascal is working and takes her to the hospital but halfway there she asks him to stop the car and promptly seduces him. Employing what is perhaps an unorthodox form of therapy Etienne wraps Eva in a blanket and takes her mountain climbing in a snowstorm. He himself freezes to death but Eva makes a full recovery. This is actually a very fine film and the acting is top class so that it holds your attention despite the questions that demand answers like why no mention of Eva's natural father, how can Pascal run a car and a reasonable apartment with no visible means of support and why is there apparently no man or men in the life of a 28 year old woman who may not be a raving beauty but is neither a graduate of the Kennel Club. Reference is made to Etienne being an ex-alcoholic and wife-beater but only enough to tantalize and make us wonder at these contradictions in one persona - mountaineer-bookseller may give us pause but VIOLENT bookseller? As I said both the acting and technical credits are first rate and I'd certainly see it again.
Review of La petite Chartreuse
