And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen...

Plenty of food for thought and honey for the music heart'n'soul. The story of this weary master thief and a disillusioned (with love)jazz singer meeting,finding common ground and falling 'for each other' is age old. However, their common ground is quite unusual and a bit of a stretch (but hey...it's a story). Where they meet and how the story plays out, is an unexpected and interesting twist. To my mind, the acting and Morrocan setting are great. Jeremy Irons is his usual cool and collected self and the lead actress suits the part beautifully...and can she sing!! The soundtrack, to my mind (and heart) definitely steals the show. - I love blues/jazz and I found this sound track hauntingly, thought provokingly absorbing.

...and I don't know why. "And Now Ladies and Gentlemen" isn't so much the light drama it appears to be as it is a rich, ebullient, zesty feast of film fare for the viewer. Yes, there's a story in which Iron's plays an amnesiac con-man who encounters a beautiful jazz singer with a similar health problem. But, however interesting the story is, it's just the glue which binds together a colorful potpourri of film fare from jazz ballads which flow like honey to cute/clever con schemes to ocean voyages to exotic locations to variegation of cultures/languages to beautiful/handsome visages to...etc. Whether intended or not, this film is a wonderful celebration of life to be enjoyed, not analyzed. (B+)

I was sure Claude Lelouch was 80 or 81. After all, hadn't it been about 40 years since I saw, "A Man and a Woman"? But I didn't know that Mr. Lelouch began as a child director!

"And Now - Ladies and Gentlemen" is an exciting, engrossing, intelligent, funny, cynical and symbolically thought-provoking film by a writer/director who I'm still sure is over 80 but is allowed to deduct several years due to the nature of the business.

Mr. Lelouch uses music to move the action forward. to establish time and place and (no surprise at all) to elicit emotion and, not coincidentally, to entertain. And the acting - brilliant Jeremy Irons captures each and every nuance of his demanding role. The film is worth it if you only attend to see his performance.

I can't guarantee you'll walk out singing. As a matter of fact, I doubt it. I can't even guarantee you'll enjoy the film. But I can guarantee you will be talking about what it all meant long after the New Year has dawned.

This takes me back to my childhood, when the likes of "A Man and A Woman," "Hiroshima Mon Amour," "Last Year at Marienbad," "Jules et Jim," and a host of other fine european films were part and parcel of the "film-going" experience -- where you were not only entertained but fiercely challenged to think about what you thought you had just seen!

My plea, my suggestion to you is see this film and make up your own mind. Never, ever, let anyone make up your mind for you. Experience the power of movies for yourself, whenever you can.

The smart and bold thief of jewelries Valentin Valentin (Jeremy Irons) decides to leave his mate and travel around the world for one hundred days in a sailing boat. In the coast of Morocco, he has an amnesia problem and comes onshore looking for a doctor. Meanwhile, the piano-bar singer Jane Lester (Patricia Kaas) is brokenhearted when her lover leaves her to stay with her beast friend and decides to accept a job in Morocco to forget the past. An incident in the hotel where they are lodged joins them and they fell attracted for each other.

"And Now…Ladies and Gentlemen…" is a delightful romance, with many attractions: the story is very charming; the cinematography is beautiful; the chemistry between the elegant Jeremy Irons and the lovely Patricia Kaas is stunning; and the voice of the gorgeous Patricia Kaas is awesome. This singer is completely unknown in Brazil, and I was surprised and touched hearing such beautiful interpretation of wonderful songs. Patricia Kaas herself alone makes this movie very worthwhile. It is difficult to assimilate Claudia Cardinale old, but she has a great performance in the role of an unfaithful countess. Claude Lelouch is amazing as usual, making a perfect combination of an attractive story with the magnificent interpretation of this wonderful Patricia Kaas. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Amantes & Infiéis" ("Lovers & Unfaithful")

Claude Lelouch's "And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen" ... (2002) tries to be a lot of things. It has the elements of romance, thriller, and drama and much more. It could be called "Another Man and Another Woman 36 years later" and it takes us to London, Paris, and Morocco. A successful and creative jewel thief Valentin (Jeremy Irons) sails alone around the world. The fate brings him to Morocco where he meets a night singer Jean (Patricia Kaas) who hopes to escape from the heartache of the failed affair. They both suffer from blackouts and amnesia that may be caused by brain tumors - of course, they were meant to meet. They will seek the way to save their lives and then change them.

The movie is beautiful to look at, and the songs that Patricia Kaas sings are wonderful, the best asset of the movie. I read that Kaas's album "Piano Bar", a hand-picked collection of the popular love songs inspired Lelouch to make this movie where Kaas debuted as an actress. I've heard her singing before and I like her a lot. I also think that her screen debut was successful. Her songs kept the movie together because there were too many stories intermingling and even though they were all interesting and compelling, it was not just easy to keep track of all them.

There was one bitter-sweet moment when I realized that the actress who played a countess in Morocco's hotel and whose jewels were stolen in a very manner Valentin would do, was Claudia Cardinale, yes, The Claudia Cardinale. She is still a beautiful woman but the first thought that came to my mind was, "What does time do to all of us?"

"And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen" was fun while it lasted. I don't think I'll want to see it again any time soon but I am going to order Patricia Kaas's CD and I'll be listening to it often.