Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2021: #79. Xavier Giannoli’s Illusions perdues

Illusions perdues

Another project lensed in 2019 held over for a 2021 premiere is the next film from France’s Xavier Giannoli, who scored a sleeper hit with 2018’s supernatural drama The Apparition starring Vincent Lindon (also scoring a Cesar nod for newcomer Galatea Bellugi). He moves towards something a bit more high profile (with a budget north of 15 million) with his adaptation of Balzac’s Lost Illusions, which will star Cecile De France, Xavier Dolan, Gerard Depardieu, Jeanne Balibar, Vincent Lacoste, Andre Marcon, Benjamin Voison, Jean-Francois Stevenin and Louis-Do de Lencquesaing. The title is produced by Olivier Delbosc and lensed by five-time Cesar nominee Christophe Beaucarne (Coco Before Chanel). Giannoli competed twice in Venice, with 2012’s Superstar and 2015’s Marguerite (which snagged Catherine Frot a Cesar for Best Actress) and has competed twice in Cannes, with 2006’s The Singer (also starring De France and Depardieu) and 2009’s In the Beginning.

Gist: Taking place between the years 1837 and 1843, Balzac’s classic novel focuses on the young poet Lucien de Rubempre, who leaves Angouleme for Paris in the pursuit of becoming an author.

Release Date/Prediction: Giannoli completed principal photography in October of 2019. A third stint in Cannes shouldn’t be discounted, but considering the premiere has probably been held off due to the pandemic, Giannoli might re-appear at Venice – as the film is currently slated for an October 2021 domestic release in France.