Désiré (1996)
Directed by Bernard Murat

Film Review

Whilst no one could deny that he is one of the great icons of French cinema, it is a sad fact that Jean-Paul Belmondo's screen career ended pretty well in abject failure.  From the 1990s, his films were mostly ridiculed by the critics and shunned by the cinema-going public, although, more often than not, this can easily be accounted for (poor scripts, inept direction or just bad taste).  One film of this period that deserves something better than the cold shoulder treatment it received was Bernard Murat's adaptation of Sacha Guitry's play Désiré, in which a now white-haired Belmondo takes the central role, a womanising valet of mature years who falls in love with his young mistress, a stunning Fanny Ardant.  Guitry himself had already adapted the play for cinema back in 1937, so Murat and Belmondo had a hard act to follow.

This was Murat's first film, although he had a proven track record as a director in the theatre and directed Belmondo in two successful theatrical productions - Tailleur pour dames (1993) and La Puce à l'oreille (1996).  Most of the films that Murat subsequently directed were for French television and include some other worthy Guitry adaptations - Le Nouveau testament (2003), Faisons un rêve (2007)  and Mon père avait raison (2008).  Désiré had been conceived by producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier as the first in a prestigious series of sceen adaptations of Sacha Guitry plays.  It was followed by Quadrille (1997) and Le Comédien (1997), although none of the films was a commercial success and the project fell by the wayside.  A completely botched distribution and spate of bad reviews led Désiré to be a massive commercial flop, Belmondo's second least successful film after the truly risible Amazone (2000).  The film attracted a meagre audience of 130 thousand, a fraction of what Belmondo's films regularly drew in his heyday (upwards of three million).  What makes this all the more surprising is that Belmondo continued to enjoy great success on the stage, winning praise from the critics and drawing large audiences.

Much of the criticism directed at Désiré condemned it for being a piece of filmed theatre.  Murat's mise-en-scène is certainly more theatrical than filmic, and this inevitably gives the film a static feel that tends to stifle the humour and vitality of Guitry's play, which would undoubtedly be improved by a more modern interpretation.  Another killer fault is Jean-Claude Petit's omnipresent music (muzak might be a better word), which soon becomes distracting and merely accentuates the static nature of Murat's direction.  On the other hand, it is hard to fault the performances, and to do so would almost be an act of sacrilege given the abundance of acting talent the film offers.

Despite his advancing years, Belmondo is as lively as ever, not just coping but positively revelling in some of the longest speeches he has ever had to deliver in front of a film camera.  It is one of the actor's better performances, funny, poignant and totally compelling - age suits Belmondo better than most actors of his generation.  Fanny Ardant's youth and sensual exuberance provide a bitter counterpoint and the two actors work together so well that you end up longing to see them together in a contemporary drama.  A superb supporting cast (Claude Rich, Béatrice Dalle, Jean Yanne and Dominique Lavanant) more than does justice to Guitry's play and provides enough amusement to make the film enjoyable even for those who are not great fans of Bébel.  Désiré may not be a masterpiece but neither is it the congealed turkey those misguided critics of the 1990s led us to expect.

Film Synopsis

Désiré would be the perfect valet were it not for his unerring ability for stealing the heart of every woman he meets.  Désiré's latest employer, a minister named Montignac, has no notion of his philandering past but it isn't long before his mistress, the beautiful Odette, falls for his charms.  During a stay in Deauville, Odette utters Désiré's name in her sleep and her household soon begins to suspect that she is having an affair with the valet.  Despite his suspicions, Montignac must return to Paris to deal with a change of government, leaving Odette and Désiré alone together...