Noce blanche

Vanessa Paradis is most famous today as American superstar Johnny Depp's longtime girlfriend, but she is also a FRENCH actress, which means she, of course, she has an early role where she plays a nubile teen in love with a middle-aged man. The French penchant for drooling over beautiful teenage girls may be annoying to some, but is it really worse than the American/Hollywood penchant for pretending they're NOT drooling over the beautiful teenage girls that seem to find their way into every other movie somewhere? But really there is no "eew" factor here--there are no on-camera sex scenes between the man and the girl, and 17 or not, a few shots of a naked Vanessa Paradis are not going to make ANYONE go "eew".

The bigger problem with these French "lolita" movies is the plausibility. Middle-age men don't generally date teenage girls, not because they find them icky and physically unappealing, but because they're very rarely as worldly and sophisticated as the fictional nymphets in these French movies. Moreover, even in France very few girls that age are probably too interested in ennui-filled men old enough to be their spry young grandfathers. It's actually understandable that the married middle-aged philosophy teacher in this movie would fall in love with his brilliant but troubled student since she is absolutely beautiful (clothed and unclothed) and wise beyond her years. But Paradis' character is supposed to be this streetwise urchin who has dabbled in prostitution in the past, and it is a little hard to believe she'd fall madly, obsessively in love with a fifty year man just because he shows her some kindness. (Also, while 17 may not get you twenty in a French bastile, I'm pretty sure it would get you kicked out of the teaching profession).

Paradis is indeed pretty good in this (although she would be better playing another troubled teenager a few years later in "Elisa"). And this movie is definitely well-made with some memorable scenes of sad beauty. It still remains somewhat of a middle-age male sex fantasy however, which doesn't make it at all distasteful, but does make it somewhat implausible.

I remember seeing this movie for the first time and about 15 more times over the years. When I was young it was a lot because of Vanessa's beauty and slightly because of the plot. Over the years the truth behind the story, the way the film unfolds, made me realize how emotional I get every time I see it. It's something all of us have gone through in one form or another. My heart went out to Mathilde and her feelings. Add to that the scenery and the atmosphere and you have the perfect tear bearer movie. Excellent acting and wise choice of actors make the movie very believable. You sympathize with all the characters and feel there emotions. A great movie for a rainy night.

now this was the vanessa paradis video i had been waiting weeks to see. i finally got my copy ordered off of ebay and i was so glad i did. in it, vanessa paradis plays a moody young teenager named mathilde who has no parents. she rarely shows up to class, and when she does, it appears as if she is just wasting her time. her philosophy teacher francois (played by bruno cremer), happens to stumble across her path and once he finds out more about her, is eager to help her learn more. he starts to come over to her house everyday going over her homework, and teaching her the art of the study.

now, eventually, mathilde starts placing little hints that she finds francois attractive. (if you didn't know, she is 17, he is 49) he tries to resist her, but he finds himself falling for mathilde as well. they soon blossom into a passionate love. they must keep their affair a secret from his wife and the school.

you can tell that mathilde was a person who was not used to anybody caring for her before, especially in that way, so she took the first chance she got. and fell in love with him. francois, on the other hand, really just got a little too involved trying to help her. i don't think he meant to fall in love with her, but it happened.

this movie shows the struggles between a student & teacher relationship. it deals with adolscents, anger, jealousy, love, and all these other elements. the cinematography is top notch. there are some beautiful scenes of vanessa paradis in them, especially one while she is sleeping and the light streams in on her fragile body.

most of you would probably go "okay that's just plain sick. he's so old! and she's so....young!"

and that's true.

but mathilde did say "old, sick, wrinkled, thin, fat, i don't care. i'll love you for any and everyway you are" she really did love him.

this was a beautiful and moving movie that actually made me cry at the end. it's a tragic story, dealing with a taboo love that just isn't allowed in today's world.

i would like this title to be realeased in america, so people can see this wonderful gem of a film. paradis and cremer both did superb jobs in their acting, as well as jean-claude brisseau in directing and writing the screenplay.

take a break from american blockbusters and see this tragic drama.

you may just like what you find....

final rating: A+

I saw this movie for the first time when I was 15 or so (1992) and ever since then I have seen it at least another 7 or 8 times. This is true, you know. School girls DO fall in love with exactly these kind of ppl. Not everyone falls for the latest boy-band-model-of-the-year type. Some goes for the sophisticated, sensitive, reliable and wise men. I got the movie from amazon as VHS, and still hope that one day it will come up as DVD title. Most recommended, for those who want to see true love in the eyes of young girls.

Not a bad movie about impossible love, but I would suggest that you see Eric Rohmer's films a second time before taking a look at this one. What is the fascination of older man for young Lolitas? In this one, it's Vanessa Paradis, who's playing the student who get her philosophy teacher (Cremer) all tangled up in a web of difficulties. The fascination also with the troubled girl who's despaired, all the while hiding a terrible secret: she's smart, very smart. The movie is ok but sometimes a little bit too improbable. Performances are good, not great. A better film in the same genre: À la folie, pas du tout... (with Audrey Tautou). On the bright side, the movie offers an inside of what kind of feelings teachers like François are capable of developing. Every day, there's teachers who put themselves in the same situation. Society seems to be able to understand why a young girl like Mathilde could fall in love with a much older man, but the reverse ain't true.

Out of 100, I gave it 73. That's good for **½ out of ****.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on May 11th, 2004.