Avenue Montaigne

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French for "Orchestra Seats," Avenue Montaigne offers an outsider's perspective on an insular world (the original title is Fauteuils d'Orchestre). After bidding adieu to her grandmother (Suzanne Flon in her final performance), sunny Jessica (Cécile De France, L'Auberge Espagnole) moves from Mâcon to Paris. Upon securing a job as a waitress in a popular café, she meets high-strung soap star Catherine (Valérie Lemercier), burnt-out pianist Jean-François (Albert Dupontel), and secretive art collector Jacques (Claude Brasseur), who comes equipped with a pretty girlfriend and a handsome son (Christopher Thompson). Though the tousled Jessica has little in common with these posh Parisians, she affects each of their lives in ways both big and small. Directed by Danièle Thompson (La Bûche) and co-written with her son, Christopher, Avenue Montaigne serves as the flipside to French phenomenon When the Cat's Away, in which a young woman meets the people in her neighborhood while searching for an errant feline. In this case, the surroundings are more upscale, but the residents are just as susceptible to fear and insecurity. Though the idea of a sympathetic look at the upper class will surely strike some as off-putting, Thompson makes it work. The genuine affection she feels for her characters--privileged and underprivileged alike--and the grace with which she keeps several plot strands going at once proves that the spirit of Robert Altman lives on in the most unlikely of places. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Directed and co-written by Dani le Thompson 'Avenue Montaigne' centers around Jessica (Cecile de France) a beautiful young woman from the provinces who comes to Paris and lands a job waiting tables at a chic bistro on fabled Avenue Montaigne theFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG-13 UPC: 821575551755 Manufacturer No: TF-55175

Customer Reviews:

"When Time Passing Becomes Time Remaining" ~ The Talents And Possessions That Define A Life.......2007-09-04

Note: French with English subtitles.

Synopsis: Jessica (Cecile de France) leaves her home in the provinces and moves to Paris in the hope of finding a better life. Fortune smiles on her when she lands a job as a waitress in a cafe located in a high rent district frequented by the rich and artistic. As she interacts with the café's patrons their hopes and dreams are revealed. Jessica and the audience eventually discover that the rewards that come with talent and possessions doesn't necessarily bring fulfillment in life.

Critique: Released in '06 the film `Avenue Montaigne' is an undiscovered gem that can be watched over and over again, each time revealing some new and beautiful facet of a profoundly simple but elegant tale. Moving subtly from comedy, to romance, to drama the film shines a light into the heart and soul of its characters revealing not only the persona on the outside but the longing within. The acting is superb, the storyline and dialogue illuminating and the Paris backdrop is absolutely beautiful. Add to that a nostalgic soundtrack that captures the Parisian spirit to perfection and you have a film that you'll never tire of viewing. One of my favorite French films!

My Rating: -5 Stars-.

Fun.......2007-07-19

If you're looking for serious drama then you're in the wrong place. I would describe AVENUE MONTAIGNE as a "fun" movie. In many ways it reminded me of THE SPANISH APARTMENT (or L'AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE): both consisted of a bunch of colorful characters, who are trying to find their way in this crazy world of ours. It should be no surprise that Cecile France was in both films. She has a way of connecting with other actors on screen. She was a delight. Other notable actors in AVENUE were the "soap" actress, the pianist and the auctioner's son. If you just want to see a movie for just strictly entertainment value, then I highly recommend AVENUE MONTAIGNE.

A Slice of Paris.......2007-04-30

(3 1/2 *'s) `Avenue Montaigne' operates on the premise that all Parisians seek the good life. Offering a cross-section of the French dream, the film digs deeper with a "can't buy me happiness" theme stretching through intersecting lives.

Jessica (Ce'cile De France) is a high-life wanna-be who takes care of her grandmother in a nursing home. The elder reminisces that she took menial labor to enjoy vicariously the high art, food, and fashion of Paris. Emulating her grandmother, Jessica seeks a job at a café where they deliver, but will only break tradition of hiring waiters when they're in a bind. As a vivacious courier and waitress she meets the people who allegedly have fulfilled their dreams. There's Catherine (Val'erie Lemercier), a prima donna actress who isn't satisfied with the lucrative contracts she's offered. In order to achieve a high level of art, she stumbles over tables and chairs for a chance to court Sydney Pollack (cameo, himself), looking for a lead in his film. (Some of her foot-in-mouth tendencies make for some of the funniest moments.) Jean-Francois Laforte (Albert Dupontel) is a celebrated pianist who has all the amenities and filled concert halls, but his real desire is to enrich the uninitiated. His wife is his manager who can see only the material benefits of her gifted husband. Jacques, an elder art dealer wishes to sell out his collection before interest is lost, but his teacher son, Frederic (Christopher Thompson), is too idealistic. He's divorced and must watch his widower father flaunt his attractive new mistress while discovering the siren is predictably only interested in his father's money. Then, there's an elder woman who, having no musical talent of her own, is a purveyor of others' talents. She relishes the music. The movie displays great irony, for Jessica and the music purveyor, although outside of the circle of the affluent talent, seem oddly more satisfied than the successful people they admire.

`Avenue Montaigne' may not be as substantive or profound as French movies like 'L'Enfant' or 'Ponette,' but it is easily likable with characters who are accessible and make empathetic connections with the audience. Warmly engaging, sometimes funny, but often wise, this movie is a heartwarming alternative to a boulevard of broken dreams. The effect of the movie is like creme brule,' sweet, light, but very satisfying.

Jessica does Paris.......2007-03-16

Jessica (gamin-like Cecile de France from "The Spanish Apartment) arrives in Paris without a sou in her pocket but within minutes nabs a prime waitress job in a smart, stylish, up to this point type of café that only hires men as waiters, Restaurant on the Avenue Montaigne, close to the Champs Elysee' with the Eiffel Tower looming nearby.
Though "Avenue Montaigne" ("Fauteuils D'orchestre" in France or "Orchestra Seats") is very fairy tale-like, there is actually a very good reason for Jessica's hiring: the restaurant is short of help and the very next night three major events are taking place nearby: a big auction selling off the contents of an entire apartment filled with names like Braque, Brancusi and Modigliani belonging to an art collector played by the legendary Claude Brasseur, a major piano recital featuring virtuoso pianist Jean-François Lefort (Albert Dupontel) and the opening of a Feydeau farce starring TV Soap star, (actress Catherine Versen played by Valérie Lemercier) looking to land a prime Motion Picture about Simone de Beauvoir. Jessica swirls in and out of every one of these stories having a positive effect on all with her sunny sweetness and disarming honesty. There are definitely shades of "Amelie" and "Emma" at work here. "Avenue Montaigne" is as slight and light as a Crepe and de France, Brasseur and Lemercier hit all the right notes, acting-wise which sounds a lot easier than it is as the genre of light comedy is pretty much dead today and these actors are remarkably spot on here.
No one in the world makes this kind of film as well as the French and director Daniele Thompson is definitely up to the task: her film exudes warmth and a charismatic charm that is damn near impossible to resist.

Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs & Blockbusters

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"When it works, it is magic"
Boffo Schmoffo - Nobody Wants to Know
A shallow forgettable documentary

Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs & Blockbusters
Starring: George Clooney , Danny DeVito , Peter Bogdanovich , David Brown , and Richard Dreyfuss
Director: Bill Couturie
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
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ASIN: B000HEVZAS
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Description

Through exclusive interviews with over two dozen top names in Hollywood, as well as clips and montages assembled from dozens of notable Hollywood films - from megahits like The Godfather and Jaws to busts like The Clan of the Cave Bear and Howard the Duck - this 75-minute documentary focuses on the razor-thin line that separates memorable blockbusters from forgettable bombs. The interviewees provide illuminating insights into the moviemaking process, as well as anecdotes about some of their own movies, both good and bad. Produced and directed by Oscar?- and Emmy? Award-winner Bill Couturie, the documentary was executive produced by Peter Bart, the editor of Variety magazine, which is celebrating its 100th year in 2006, and whose headlines appear as bridges dividing sections of this film.

Customer Reviews:

"When it works, it is magic".......2007-06-05

What is the difference between a blockbuster and a flop? This entertaining documentary, directed by Bill Couturié, tries to give an answer to that very difficult question, thanks to an eclectic montage of clips and interviews.

Truth to be told, "Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs & Blockbusters" doesn't have the recipe for success in the film industry that so many would kill for, and you should know that now. I must also confess that this dvd is full of clichés, and doesn'have innovative ideas.

All the same, I liked this documentary well enough to give it 3.5 stars. The reason is simple: it is a dvd about the passion for movies, something I identify with. What is more, I enjoy watching people that feel strongly about cinema talk about something they know about, even if they don't say something new. Do you feel the same way? If that is the case, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this documentary too.

Belen Alcat, June 2007

Boffo Schmoffo - Nobody Wants to Know.......2007-05-07

There was not much substance here but a lot of sugar and glayze. If you are looking for some great insights into Hollywood, this is not it. The doco explores the idea of nobody knows and makes out that it tries to get to the heart of why some films fail and some succeed. From a research perspective, you have to question the source. Largely Hollywood actors. They are great to look at but don't really have a lot of intelligent things to say. The studio execs and producers had a few more insights. One said that yes, nobody knows, but there are some rules but none of these were actually elaborated on or explained. A lot of glitz and glamour, but not a lot of intelligence but then again, that is Hollywood and probably the reason why its so successful. Everyone wants to believe in magic and nobody really wants to know the reality.

A shallow forgettable documentary.......2006-10-22

This documentary really had the potential to have been a lot more interesting and inclusive, but instead it ended up rather formulaic, shallow, easily-predictable, and forgettable. The premise is to examine just what makes a Hollywood blockbuster vs. what makes a major flop, and the often fine line between the two. I fully understand that with only about 75 minutes, there's not enough time to get into every single prime example of both of these types of movies, but the producers and writers really seemed to have left out some obvious examples of horrible failures, such as 'Gigli,' and 'Battlefield Earth,' movies that would have easily given the commentators ample material for dissection and mockery. On the whole it comes across as little more than some glorified clipshow with a bunch of talking heads, all of whom are spouting the usual clichéd lines like "There are no rules" and "There's a fine line between success and failure." Additionally, a lot of the facts mentioned are already common knowledge, such as all of the anecdotes about the making of 'Jaws.' There aren't a lot of new or groundbreaking information or insights contained in this shallow documentary, which also features a lot of big names instead of some lesser-known Hollywood players. Having some people who aren't big names would have given it a more balanced view and provided a bigger variety of insights. It's kind of ironic how Richard Dreyfuss is interviewed in his makeup for 'The Poseidon Adventure,' which ended up flopping big-time.

Based on the description of this documentary, I had also been expecting far more of a historical perspective, if not necessarily in linear format. That was probably far too much to hope for, given Hollywood and America's rampant cultural and historical amnesia. How many film clips did we even see from before the Sixties? It would have been more balanced had they started out talking about hits and flops from early movie history and then moving forward in time, instead of focusing just about entirely on the last 35 years or so. This kind of thing only further serves to reinforce the popular opinion that no one is interested in movies from that long ago anyway and that only ones from the last few decades even count.

This documentary is interesting to watch once, but overall it's nothing I'd recommend actually purchasing. It's just too devoid of substance and new or thought-provoking insights and information.

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dvd=Director's
One of the Great (and versatile) directors

The Directors - Sydney Pollack

Manufacturer: Genius Products
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 1572527773
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Amazon.com

This incisive documentary traces the long, varied career of Sydney Pollack, whose movies have been nominated for 46 Academy Awards. Extensive interviews with Pollack get inside the mind of a hard-working man dedicated to his craft. "I've never been completely content with my career," Pollack declares, a surprising admission for a man who's enjoyed such remarkable success. On a personal note, Pollack confesses to having had a crush on Natalie Wood, star of This Property Is Condemned. He addresses the technical problems of his first critical success, They Shoot Horses Don't They?, starring Jane Fonda. (How do you shoot a film in which "people do the same thing over and over for two hours in the same place?") We get the kick of feeling like a Hollywood insider when Pollack divulges his prolonged campaign to convince Robert Redford to star in The Way We Were. Interviews with actors who have worked with Pollack--Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, Harrison Ford--paint a vivid picture of the man. One revealing anecdote comes from Out of Africa star Meryl Streep, who tells of filming a scene with a tethered lioness. To heighten the drama--and without telling Streep--Pollack set the lioness free. Clips of Three Days of the Condor, Absence of Malice, Tootsie, and many other Pollack films provide a comprehensive showcase for the work of a masterful American director. --Laura Mirsky

Customer Reviews:

dvd=Director's.......2007-01-10

It was a great DVD but he has done much more since then that I hope it is remade for the present.

One of the Great (and versatile) directors.......2000-09-01

A neat bio of this most talented directors. His life and work are examined (although maybe not as close as some might like) in this entertaining and easy to watch documentary. I would have liked to see more personal comments about his favourite films and more about the acting parts he tends to take from time to time.

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