La femme de Gilles

This is a hopeless story, but a brilliant film.

By that, I mean it's a cinema-graphic narrative that is bleak to point of utter despair: everything about this exposition of French rural existence of the 1930s leaves very little for the viewer to enjoy -- except for a brief portrait of an idyllic picnic by the lower middle-class family that forms the core of this story.

But, it is also superb film making from the director of A Pornographic Affair (1999), a film I very much admired, when I saw it. This film is much better.

Unlike Affair, where much of the action, shall I say, was behind closed doors and left much to imagination, the director here does the opposite. In fact, it couldn't be more in your face with the very long and often extreme close-ups used to explore the emotions of the aggrieved wife of Gilles, who is a laborer at a local steel mill. I didn't compile a time-scale for on screen presence for each of the three main players, but I'm sure that Elisa (Emmanuelle Devos) has the camera on her mostly with medium, close-up and extreme close-up shots. That's a very difficult piece of acting and Devos's skill is, at times, almost beyond belief.

The story explores the limits of love, using a threesome of the husband, Gilles (Clovis Cornillac), Elisa, and her sister, Victorine (Laura Smet). Gilles lusts after Victorine and the two engage in an incestuous affair; gradually, Elisa learns the truth and – because she loves Gilles so much – she tries to help Gilles get over it all.

But, Gilles is obsessed with Victorine and loses interest in Elisa, despite her unwavering duty as a wife and mother to their three children. She has faith that Gilles will overcome his aberration and is willing to endue his contempt, disinterest and moral degeneracy so that he will eventually see the light, which is she. Or, so she hopes… Gilles, for his own part, sees nothing wrong with his character or behaviour – in effect, a total perversion of logic and love. Elisa, attempting to maintain her bleak, down-trodden and very limited world must accept that logic of perversion or suffer the consequences, whatever they may be. The denouement is therefore unavoidable when Elisa realizes she cannot abide that logic any more. As a viewer, you know that something will break and those final scenes will stay with you for a long time, I think.

The acting is first rate, even down to the children of the family. Devos – not a raging beauty at all, and vaguely reminiscent of Kate Blanchett – is just stunning; her movements, her facial expressions, her limpid eyes are all just perfect in conveying the torment of a wronged wife. Her tragedy, in my opinion, is that she loves too much. Cornillac does an excellent job as the boorish, lustful wannabe lover and husband. Smet is very good as the flighty and fanciful younger sister. I'd not seen any of these actors before; I'll be looking for them again.

The dialog is almost non-existent, as befitting many French films of this genre; nearly all of the real story – Elisa's fight to save her marriage – is exposed with looks, movements, sighs, tears and the never-ending drudge of existence with a jerk for a husband. I can't recall a better film that has portrayed a situation that is probably acted out, in real life, more often than we know or even think.

Matching the overall mood, the mise-en-scene is picture perfect: semi-rural France, small villages and houses, gray skies, rain, snow, mud, filth and dirty sex on the side. Music is muted, for the most part, the exception being at the dance hall where Elisa sees Gilles and Victorine dancing lasciviously to the rural fanfare.

If you want to see marriage in the raw, then this is a film for you. Those, however, who can't bear the thought of facing such issues, even in a fictional setting, are well advised to avoid this one.

This is a riveting French film by the director and screenwriter of the vastly inferior "Une Affaire Pornographique." It is minimalist in the best sense of the word. There is very little dialogue. The film must depend on the camera, lighting, and especially, the facial expressions of the two lead actors to carry the film. It works remarkably well. The actress and actor who play the husband and wife show how a couple who know each other intimately can communicate meaningfully without words. Unfortunately, it appears that another reason Gilles, the husband, doesn't use many words is because he doesn't know very many, nor does he have very many thoughts to articulate even if he could. Simply put, the man is an oaf who is extremely lucky to have the devoted wife that he does, and he doesn't deserve her.

Emmanuele Devos, who plays the wife, carries the film. She has a fascinating and expressive face that conveys her emotions without words. She also has an enigmatic smile that is hard to read. Why is she smiling, we wonder at times. Is she planning ahead, anticipating her victory over the 'other woman,' who also happens to be her sister? We are able to anticipate that she will be successful, primarily because we are able to see from the outset that her husband is no match for her intellectually, and that her sister, being a somewhat shallow floozy, will soon tire of Gilles and move on. All Elisa has to do is wait her out.

This having been said, I must state my opinion that the film is marred by an ending--which I will not reveal here--that we could probably see coming but hoped would not. The film is based on a novel I haven't read, so the same ending may occur in the source. But if so, endings have been changed before. The film would have been better, and more realistic, if it had ended a few frames before it did. The ending as it occurs just appears sensationalistic, shock for shock's sake, and the smartass camera angles employed by the director don't help. Other than that, this is a superb film. 8/10

'La Femme de Gilles' ('Gilles' Wife') began as a novel by Madeleine Bourdouxhe and was transformed for the screen by Philippe Blasband, Marion Hänsel and Frédéric Fonteyne who also directs this stunning and controversial art piece. Certainly one of the most visually magnificent films of recent years (cinematographer Virginie Saint-Martin) 'Gilles' Wife' succeeds on every level: the story is unique, the direction is liquid and languorous, and the cast is superlative.

Elisa (the remarkably sensitive Emmanuelle Devos) lives with her husband Gilles in what appears to be a perfect marriage: Elisa is the doting but sincerely in love housewife who spends her days caring for their twin daughters, cleaning house, cooking special meals, canning berry jams, keeping her husband satisfied sexually; Gilles (Clovis Cornillac) appears to be a loving husband, tender with Elisa, enamored with her, and content. Elisa has a younger attractive sister Victorine (Laura Smet) who visits this haven-like household frequently to see her nieces and almost from the start we sense there is an attraction between Gilles and Victorine. Elisa becomes pregnant with their third child and Gilles grows a bit distant. Elisa gradually acknowledges the fact that he is having an affair with Victorine and though hurt by the deception she decides the only way to keep Gilles is to allow him to discuss the matter with her. Patiently she listens to his fears that Victorine may have another lover and in fact allows Elisa to stalk Victorine to substantiate the affair. Elisa accomplishes her mission and Gilles is devastated with the truth, all the while paying little attention to the emotional sacrifices Elisa is making on his behalf. There are confrontations, Elisa even seeks out a priest to help her in resolving her pain but the priest doesn't pay attention and Elisa is left with silence. When eventually the affair between Gilles and Victorine ends Elisa has given birth to a son, accepts Gilles' remorse, and ultimately in her own quiet way finds a mode of redemption for her trials with an unfaithful husband.

The fact the Elisa is content to be just 'Gilles' wife' instead of maintaining her dignity is hard to swallow at first but in Emmanuelle Devos' gifts as an actress we are made to understand her choices. The triad of actors here are amazingly fine and they are directed with graceful sensitivity by Frédéric Fonteyne. As an extra on the DVD there is an extended conversation with Fonteyne who shares some of the deleted scenes - this viewer only wishes there were not deleted! - and gives one of the more intelligent surveys of a film's story and progress on record. The visual painting of the scenes is so very beautiful that each frame could be a canvas. This is an impressively fine and deeply moving film. Highest recommendation. Grady Harp