The French Scene — Emmanuelle Devos

Nr 10 – December 2007-January 2008
The French Scene — Emmanuelle Devos
Not well known by the general public, praised by journalists and film critics,
Emmanuelle Devos is a discreet and highly talented actress who has been on the French
film scene for more than 10 years.
Emmanuelle Devos was born into a family of actors in May 1964. Her mother was especially
active as an actress and went from one festival to another during her daughter’s youth.
Emmanuelle Devos explained once that her last name is of Flemish origin (De Voss, which
means fox). Attending her parents’ rehearsals gave her an early immersion into the world of
the theatre. This experience had a profound impact on her, and already as a young child she
knew she had found her vocation in life, especially after seeing Jeanne Moreau during a
rehearsal for the shooting of the film Lumière in 1976. She was 12 years old… She was a
junior in high school when she decided to leave school and dedicate herself to the theatre,
starting by taking drama classes at the Cours Florent under the direction of Francis Huster
who went on to directed her in On a volé Charlie Spencer (1986). At that time, in order to
support herself, she worked as an usherette in Parisian cinemas, which gave her the chance to
watch lots of films.
Close to the younger generation of existing film-makers of the Parisian school Fémis
(Technical, artistic and cultural education for jobs in cinema and broadcasting), she played in
the early films of two of the school’s brightest representatives: Dis-moi oui, dis-moi non by
Noémie Lvovsky in 1989 and La Vie des morts by Arnaud Desplechin in 1990.
Emmanuelle quickly became a familiar face in the film world of Arnaud Desplechin and
appeared in six of his films, such as Coment je me suis disputé... (ma vie sexuelle), a role
which earned her a nomination as Best Promising Actress for the 1997 César awards.
Both intellectual and full of passion, and at the same time a very shy person, she also played
supporting roles in movies by young authors such as Oublie- moi by Lvovsky or Aïe by
Sophie Fillières. In 2002, her impressive performance in Sur mes lèvres (Read My Lips) by
Jacques Audiard earned her the César for Best Actress, thereby edging out Audrey Tatou for
her role in Amélie Poulin. In this box office hit, a thriller, she played a half-deaf secretary
who could only understand other people by reading at their lips. In other roles she has
demonstrated her finely-tuned capacity for playing a passionate or loving woman as well as
cruel or mysterious characters.
Even if Emmanuelle appears at times in comedies that appeal to a wider audience, she
remains faithful to art house cinema, plays in films of quality and stared in L’Adversaire
(where she is Daniel Auteuil’s mistress) and La Moustache by Emmanuel Carrère, Rois et
reine by Arnaud Desplechin and De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté by Jacques Audiard, where
she appears along side Romain Duris. The film won 8 Césars and numerous other awards in
various film festivals. She has recently appeared in Gentille (Good Girl) by Sophie Fillières.
In spite of her many films, she still performs on stage and can currently be seen in The
Creditors by August Strindberg.
A mother of two children, Raphael (13) and Samuel (11), who already wants to become an
actor too, she lives a quiet life in Saint-Mandé (East of Paris in Val-de-Marne). She made
public appearances in support of the Socialist Party during the 1995 presidential campaign,
but has since announced that she would no longer publicly support any political party. In
spite of her numerous films and stage appearances, she remains relatively unknown by the
public at large, a fact she really rather appreciates.. She likes being able to take the subway in
Paris without being recognized…
Vincent Anthonioz
A few DVDs with Emmanuelle Devos
Sur mes lèvres (2002) – Read my lips. By Jacques Audiard. With Vincent Cassel,
Emmanuelle Devos, Olivier Gourmet, Olivia Bonamy, Olivier Perrier
In this excellent thriller, a deaf and introverted woman who is looking for love finds a man
who leads her into a life of crime.
L’adversaire (2002) By Nicole Garcia. With Daniel Auteuil, Géraldine Pailhas, François
Cluzet, Emmanuelle Devos, Bernard Fresson.
This film was inspired by the tragic destiny of a man who murdered his wife, his children and
his parents, and then tried to commit suicide. Guilty of killing the five people closest to him,
he turns out to be a criminal "doctor" who had lived a life of lies for almost twenty years.
Rois et Reine (2005) – Kings and Queen By Arnaud Desplechin. With Emmanuelle Devos,
Mathieu Amalric, Catherine Deneuve, Magalie Woch.
The stories of two desperate characters share an important link in this drama: a woman who is
finally going to get married to a man who is perfect for her, and a poor guy who is mistakenly
committed to a mental health hospital. A delightful movie, in which the really crazy person
turns out not to be the one we think…
Mon beau sapin
Mon beau sapin roi des forêts
Que j'aime ta verdure!
Quand part l'hiver, bois et guérets,
Sont dépouillés de leurs attraits.
Mon beau sapin roi des forêts
Tu gardes ta parure.
Toi que Noël planta chez nous
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Au saint anniversaire,
Joli sapin comme ils sont doux,
Et tes bonbons et tes joujoux,
Toi que Noël planta chez nous
Par les mains de ma mère.
Mon beau sapin roi des forêts
Que j'aime ta verdure!
Quand part l'hiver, bois et guérets,
Sont dépouillés de leurs attraits.
Mon beau sapin tes verts sommets
Et leur fidèle ombrage,
De la foi qui ne ment jamais,
De la constance et de la paix,
Mon beau sapin tes verts sommets
M'offrent la douce image.
Mon beau sapin roi des forêts
Que j'aime ta verdure!
Quand part l'hiver, bois et guérets,
Sont dépouillés de leurs attraits.
Chosen and sung by Alexandra
Francis Cabrel — Samedi soir sur la terre
Il arrive, elle le voit, elle le veut
Et ses yeux font le reste
Elle s'arrange pour mettre du feu
Dans chacun de ses gestes
Après c'est une histoire classique
Quelle que soit la fumée
Quelle que soit la musique
Elle relève ses cheveux, elle espère qu'il devine
Dans ses yeux de figurine
Il s'installe, il regarde partout
Il prépare ses phrases
Comme elle s'est avancée un peu
D'un coup leurs regards se croisent
Après c'est une histoire normale
Le verre qu'elle accepte, et les sourires qu'il étale
En s'approchant un peu, il voit les ombres fines
Dans ses yeux de figurine
Pas la peine que je précise
D'où ils viennent et ce qu'ils se disent
C'est une histoire d'enfant
Une histoire ordinaire
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On est tout simplement, simplement
Un samedi soir sur la terre.
Ils se parlent, ils se frôlent, ils savent bien
Qu'il va falloir qu'ils sortent
Ils sont obligés de se toucher
Tellement la musique est forte
Après, c'est juste une aventure
Qui commence sur le siège arrière d'une voiture
Il voit les ombres bleues
Que le désir dessine
À son front de figurine
Pas la peine que je précise
D'où ils viennent et ce qu'ils se disent
C'est une histoire d'enfant
Une histoire ordinaire
On est tout simplement, simplement
Un samedi soir sur la terre.
Pas la peine d'être plus précis
Cette histoire est déjà finie
On en ferait autant
Si c'était à refaire
On est tout simplement, simplement
Un samedi soir sur la terre.
Paroles et musique:
Francis Cabrel (1994)
© Chandelle productions
Born in 1953 in Agen, (southwest of France), Francis Cabrel is a French singer-songwriter
and guitarist. When he was young, he was expelled from secondary school in Agen for lack
of discipline. After that, he went to work in a shoe shop while playing gigs with a group
named Ray Frank and Jazzmen, which later became known as Les Gaulois because every
member of the band had a moustache. Indeed, at that time, Cabrel's appearance was that of a
hippie, with long hair and a moustache.
Bob Dylan had a major influence on Cabrel, and he has released a number of albums falling
predominantly in the folk style, with occasional incursions into blues or country. Many of his
songs are big successes in France.
As he is known as being sometimes very nostalgic, the satirical comic puppet programme on
Canal +, les Guignols de l’info, often pokes fun at him, nicknaming him la grand-mère à
moustache (the grandmother with a moustache) and they always make him say C’était mieux
avant (It was better before).
Francis Cabrel is also very active in concerts for charity, including regular appearances in
Les Enfoirés: a group of artists who organize yearly concerts all over France, the proceeds of
which support the humanitarian organization Les Restos du coeur, that was started by French
humorist Coluche.
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The album Samedi soir sur la terre , the title song of which appears above, is one of his most
accomplished and successful albums.
Vincent Anthonioz
Video clip with lyrics:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=s0HQ8EPNcCI
A Short Selection of books
Almanach Bellemare 2008-2009
Ca m’arrive souvent de ne penser à rien. C’est toujours mieux que de ne pas penser du tout.
It often happens to me that I think about nothing at all. That is always better than not thinking
at all.
(French writer Raymond Queneau).
La démocratie, c’est aussi le droit institutionnel de dire des bêtises.
Democracy is also the constitutional right to say stupid things.
(Former French President Frederic Mitterrand).
These very funny thoughts, one for each day of the year, are only one aspect of this interesting
almanac written by the well-known former TV presenter Pierre Bellemare. There are a lot of
interesting or strange stories, recipes, short reminders of historical events, gardening secrets,
argot quizzes, and a few lists of inventions, environmental tips, or good wines and cheeses. A
very nice way for an expatriate to discover new and fascinating aspects of France. Rather
easy to read, as most stories are short.
By Pierre Bellemare, Ed. Albin Michel, 22,50 €
God Save les Françaises
The latest novel from British writer, Stephen Clarke, who resides in France and whose God
Save la France was a runaway best seller (200,000 copies of the French version were sold in
France). Of course, you can easily read these books in English, but is may be an interesting
experience, and a good way to learn a few French words and expressions, to compare both
texts. Especially as regards his very funny comments on the French way of life, and the
dialogues, such as this one:
- … Je vais, you know, I’am going to loo one.
- Tu vas quoi ?
- To loo. Louer, quoi. Un apartment.
- Pardon ?...
- Ouais, with…
- Avec quoi ? Avec de l’argent de la drogue ?
- With, oh merde ! With Virginie…
By Stephen Clarke, Nil Editions, 20 €.
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Le grand livre du petit coin
Everything you need to know, and much more, about le petit coin, which has also been called
le cabinet de lecture (the reading booth), le confessionnal (the confessional), la garde-robe
(the wardrobe), and le grenier à pommes (the apple loft)… Yes, this very specific place that
the French used to call, only a few years ago, les cabinets, and then les water closet, followed
by les WC, and that nowadays they have a tendency to call simply les toilettes in a restaurant
or hotel, but that you can refer to, among friends, as le pipi room or les chiottes… This book
is not only extremely funny, but it is also highly informative, with lots of anecdotes, historical
events, quotes from films, environmental tips or political stories, literary quotes, and tons of
jokes, about the same subject. Illustrated with many pictures, cartoons, ads and graphics.
By Sabine Bourgey and Alain Schneider. Ed. Horay, 22 €.
A Literary Text — L’accent grave
For this month’s short literary text we return to Jacques Prévert and present one of his
poems entitled L’Accent grave, a poem that should have a special resonance for any
Anglophone.
Le Professeur – Elève Hamlet !
L’Elève Hamlet (sursautant) – ...Hein...Quoi... Pardon... Qu’est-ce qui se passe... Qu’est-ce
qu’il y a... Qu’est-ce que c’est ?...
Le Professeur (mécontent) – Vous ne pouvez pas répondre “présent” comme tout le monde ?
Pas possible, vous êtes encore dans les nuages.
L’Elève Hamlet – Etre ou ne pas être dans les nuages !
Le Professeur – Suffit. Pas tant de manières. Et conjuguez-moi le verbe être, comme tout le
monde, c’est tout ce que je vous demande.
L’Elève Hamlet – To be…
Le Professeur – En français, s’il vous plaît, comme tout le monde.
L’Elève Hamlet - Bien, monsieur. (Il conjugue :)
Je suis ou je ne suis pas
Tu es ou tu n’es pas
Il est ou il n’est pas
Nous sommes ou nous ne sommes pas…
Le Professeur (excessivement mécontent) – Mais c’est vous qui n’y êtes pas, mon pauvre
ami !
L’Elève Hamlet – C’est exact, monsieur le professeur.
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Je suis “où” je ne suis pas
et, dans le fond, hein, à la réflexion,
être “où” ne pas être
c’est peut-être aussi la question.
Jacques Prévert. Paroles, Editions Gallimard, 1949.
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