O Homem que Eu Amo

Claude Lelouch has made documentaries: "Loin du Vietnam" was a short in a film made up of sequences by different directors including Agnès Varda;"13 jours en France" was a reporton the Olympic Games of Grenoble 1968 "filmed with virtuosity but without feeling "(Claude Bouliq Mercier).

"Un homme qui me plait" ,although it has a plot -a love affair between two married people (with two generally nice actors:Belmondo and Annie Girardot)who both work on a film and who combine business with pleasure - does not amount to much.I've got the impression that Lelouch was more interested in the U.S.A. than in his tepid trite story.

Belmondo tells it all in one of his lines:"Why make such a film? Rich people in beautiful cars staying in luxury hotels ,who cares?"Pretty smart on his part!

This unknown film is a real gem. I wasn't expecting much, since Claude Lelouch has kind of a weak reputation (I do love his version of Les Miserables, though), but, I figured that Jean-Paul Belmondo is always reason enough to see a film. Definitely, he pushes it far beyond what it could have been otherwise, but also helping him is the wonderful performance of Annie Girardot, an actress about whom I know not a thing, and the great but modest direction of Lelouch. The film begins as if it were going to be one of those run-of-the-mill French dramas where married people cheat on each other. After a while, though the two new lovers go on a cross-country trip from L.A. to NYC (although they don't quite make it there in their rented car). What I would compare this film most to is Linklater's Before Sunrise. I give the film an 8/10.

Jean-Paul Belmondo writes score for movies. He's in Hollywood to write one for a film Annie Giradot is appearing in. He thinks the theme is good, with maybe too many violins. She thinks she has a good part and is second in the cast listings. He also thinks the movie is no good: they're rich, beautiful, and have all the time in the world. Whether Claude Lelouch can make a movie out of that, well, that's this movie. Because the score by Francis Lai has a good theme, if too many violins, and Mlle Giradot is second in the cast listings.

And so they go on a voyage of self-discovery in a big old American Cadillac, from Los Angeles to Las Begas, to Arizona, and eventually New Orleans. But we learn that they aren't just young and beautiful and rich. They have lives and obligations. Will this affair turn into something permanent? Is this just an opportunity for product placement, for Pan Am and Heinz ketchup? Or will it turn out to be more than a poor sequel to Un Homme Et Une Femme?

When two of the greatest French actors of the 60's 70's area meet before Claude Lelouch's eyes, you can experience one of these unique love stories that breaks your heart. Belmondo embodies the French "nouvel vague" and no one will resist Girardot's look and smile through the American landscape of the late sixties.

OK, let's get this out of the way - it's dubbed in English and the dubbing is awful - they even dubbed the Americans like Farah Fawcett! Lol, preposterous ...

But, getting past that, the film is quite engaging - the narrative does some nifty intriguing switcheroos in a "play within a play" sort of way that makes you have to pay attention just when you think you've got the story line nailed down - so that's fun.

But the real fun is an iconic - on film, not video - romp across the USA from LA to NY via the Grand Canyon and The Big Easy. Some absolutely fabulous scenes which I won't spoil but you'll know them when you see them.

So, all in all, it's a 1960's era French director filming in America without being burdonsomely snide, which is quite the filmic cocktail in and of itself.

Enjoy!