My Life with James Dean
- Director: Dominique Choisy
- Writer: Dominique Choisy
- Producer: Nathalie Algazi; François Drouot
CGiii Comment
Not quite a full-blown French farce...but, definitely, heading in that direction...reeled in by some careful writing and direction.
Dominique Choisy has chosen to make 'arthouse film-making' & 'film festivals' the 'butts' of the joke...with a striking stab at the deeply contentious subject...that is, the age of consent!
So...the question needs to be ask: Is this an arthouse film? The answer is: No! This is quirky independent film-making at its very best. Crammed full of anxieties and eccentrics...all completely believable...what a refreshing oddity!
A few aficionados [of arthouse] may take offence...but, really, it's done without malice. Those who have found themselves - alone - in a cinema will be able to relate...those who would never dream of going to the cinema alone...will be horrified.
But...at its core, this is a film about [impossible & improbable] relationships and about unrealistic ambition. True, there is an undercurrent of sadness...but, rather than wallow in a pit of potential despair, Dominique Choisy ends on a - some would argue, controversial - we say, glorious - high...with smiles, hope and relief.
Such a lovely film.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Moving. Demanding. Unclassifiable. Rare. These are the words given to the gay film that Géraud is invited to present in a sleepy seaside town. But they also describe this irresistibly funny and sometimes absurdist comedy, as he is drawn into the lives of the handsome young projectionist obsessed with him, the snotty hotel desk girl hoping to become an actress and the slightly neurotic theater owner embroiled in a heated lesbian affair of her own. Charming and unique.
Invite par l’association « Les Ecrans de la Cote » pour presenter son premier long- metrage, Ma Vie avec James Dean, dans des cinemas du littoral normand, le jeune realisateur Geraud Champreux ne peut imaginer que sa vie va en etre changee.
De cavalcades en projections plus ou moins ratees, de promenades sur un chalutier en soirees mechamment arrosees, Geraud va finir par trouver une inspiration nouvelle dans cette improbable ville du bout de la terre.
Cast & Characters
Johnny Rasse as Geraud Champreux;
Mickael Pelissier as Balthazar;
Nathalie Richard as Sylvia van den Rood;
Juliette Damiens as Gladys;
Marie Vernalde as Louise;
Bertrand Belin as Maxence;
Julien Graux as Tony;
Sophie Matel as Catherine;
Tancredi Volpert as Ludwig;
Yannick Bequelin as Jimmy;
Francoise Lebrun as La mere de Geraud;
Tajamul Faqiri-Choisy as Milad;
Eric Goulouzelle as Bertrand;
Maewa Abiola; Fatima Bendif