We reported on Christophe Honoré’s quickly putting together his 8th feature film moments before putting a premiere date on his 7th film, the Locarno presented Man at Bath. That was back in July. Now with shooting underway, we have a title correction, identified location settings and a fuller synopsis which helps us pinpoint which characters Catherine Deneuve, Ludivine Sagnier and often used alumni Honoré actors Louis Garrel and Chiara Mastroianni will end of playing.
Not to be confused with the Aussie horror film, Les Bien-Aimés (“Loved Ones”), this romantic comedy takes place over two time periods. In the first, during the 1960s, Madeleine leaves Paris to join her new husband Jaromil in Prague. The arrival of Russian tanks in the city marks their separation and Madeleine returns to France. In the second, in the 90s, Madeleine’s daughter Véra falls in love in London with Henderson, who feels unable of loving her. Madeleine and Véra each play out their feminine roles at the end of the 20th century, albeit with slight stubbornness, without which they would simply give in. We figure that Mastroianni (Deneuve’s daughter in real life) would take on the younger Madeleine while Mom takes on the older version. Vera would be played by Sagnier and Garrel looks/sounds closer to Jaromil. Here’s the trailer for Honoré’s Man at Bath (which didn’t go unnoticed when released in France two months back.
