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Lost Illusions
Original Title
Illusions perdues- Director: Xavier Giannoli
- Writer: Jacques Fieschi, Xavier Giannoli, Xavier Giannoli, Yves Stavrides, Honoré de Balzac
- Producer: Emilien Bignon, Christine De Jekel, Olivier Delbosc, Sidonie Dumas, Sylvain Goldberg, Cédric Iland
CGiii Comment
Hallelujah...the master storyteller has been served a masterful film...winning 7 Césars.
This has absolutely everything...from genteel rural naïveté to a scathing urban comment. No-one is safe from Balzac's poisonous pen...the Liberals get a kicking, The Royalists get slapped down at every opportunity...but, it is the [restored] aristocracy who get savaged.
This is French history with a bitter [and rather brilliant] twist of modernity - the corruption, the scheming, the exploitation and manipulation are all still in existence today. This is a scathing indictment of that ridiculous political promise: Social mobility. And...an all-out assault on those who will do absolutely anything to retain their privilege and wealth.
This is kaleidoscopic hedonism...imbued with a lush subtext. The pace never falters and the decadence never disappoints. Not many have pulled-off Balzac's great work...Xavier Giannoli has done just that...in a mesmerising 150 minutes, he proves himself to be a consummate and thrilling storyteller. Lost Illusions is social mobility's rollercoaster...once you're on it, you don't want to get off! It ended too soon!
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Story of the rise and the fall of a young man in Paris who dreamed to be a writer and became a journalist.
Cast & Characters
Benjamin Voisin (as Lucien Chardon, dit Lucien de Rubempré)
Cécile de France (as Louise de Bargeton)
Vincent Lacoste (as Etienne Lousteau)
Xavier Dolan (as Nathan d'Anastazio)
Salomé Dewaels (as Coralie)
Jeanne Balibar (as Marquise d'Espard)
André Marcon (as Baron du Châtelet)
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing (as Finot)
Gérard Depardieu (as Dauriat)
Jean-François Stévenin (as Singali)
Candice Bouchet (as Florine)
Jean-Marie Frin (as Camusot)
Saïd Amadis (as Matifat)
Isabelle de Hertogh (as Bérénice)
Laurence Ferraro (as Rédactrice du Corsaire)
Jérémie Bedrune (as Rédacteur du Corsaire)
Sandrine Molaro (as La logeuse)
Benoît Tachoires (as Le directeur du Bas Rouge)
Patrick Pessis (as Le directeur Bérénice)
Maryne Bertieaux (as Eve (as Marine Berthiaux))
Jean-Paul Muel (as Bargeton)
Pierre Poirot (as Le généalogiste)
Gaëlle Lebert (as La cliente du Véfour)
Caroline Gaget (as La domestique)
Armand Eloi (as Le contrôleur opéra)