36 lines
3.7 KiB
Plaintext
36 lines
3.7 KiB
Plaintext
it was a crazy time in france , what with the french revolution right around the corner .
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king louis xv would soon die , and his son would become king louis xvi .
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such is the setting for beaumarchais : the scoundrel about the controversial playwright , spy and playboy pierre-augustin caron de beaumarchais .
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beaumarchais was the author of the plays , " the barber of seville " and " the marriage of figaro . "
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today people think of them as quaint and harmless operas , but , back in 1773 when the movie takes place , they were so scandalous that beaumarchais was thrown into prison more than once .
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the movie beaumarchais : the scoundrel takes a light-hearted approach to its subject , resulting in an inviting motion picture .
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one of france's most expensive productions ever , the movie was a huge hit when it opened there last year .
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now in theatrical release in the united states , it eschews the seriousness of most art house films with a romping good story .
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the secret of the film's success , other than the lavishness of sylvie de segonzac's costumes , has to be the performance by fabrice luchini as beaumarchais .
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with his glistening eyes and his infectious smile , he mesmerizes the camera and the audience .
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his wry little lips seem always to hint at some unspoken deviousness he is planning .
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in a land where court intrigue determines one's destiny , constant scheming was a way of life for the aristocracy .
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as our story starts , we learn that beaumarchais has bought himself a judgeship .
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into his court comes a member of the nobility demanding an immediate sword fight .
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beaumarchais , who has been having an affair with the man's wife , makes him wait until the current case on the docket is decided .
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that over with , the fight is on .
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with luchini's charisma , it is hard to root for anyone other than him .
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audiences may remember him from the marvelous colonel chabert , in which he played the attorney .
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although he does not have half of the good looks of his assistant gudin , played by manuel blanc , he dazzles the women and the viewers with his grace and style .
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michael epp's warm and intimate cinematography provides a nice accompaniment to jean-marc kerdelhue's lush but realistic looking sets .
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jean-claude petit's music , especially the hauntingly lovely flute solos , make for an enchanting time at the movies .
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director jean-claude brisville , who wrote the script along with edouard molinaro , fleshed out a play by sacha guitry which , according to the press notes , was just a series of historic vignettes .
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the disorganization of the play still comes through at some points in the movie , but the actors smooth it over with their good-hearted style .
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typical of the scenes that come out of nowhere is the one in which a rotund benjamin franklin appears in a large pot of hot water , taking his bath .
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one episode has beaumarchais working with a renegade spy who may or may not be a man .
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another has beaumarchais using his personal fortune to aid the american revolution .
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all of this may sound like a dull historical drama , but it is anything but .
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the story plays more like theater of the absurd than a movie based on historical facts .
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the radiantly lovely sandrine kiberlain plays marie-therese , the real love of beaumarchais's life .
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but he is so likable that members of the audience may want to compete with her for him .
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still , with his beguiling smile , one can never quite be sure if you should trust him .
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the movie , on the other hand , can be trusted to deliver a high old time .
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beaumarchais : the scoundrel runs 1 : 41 .
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it is in french with english subtitles .
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the film is not rated but would be an r for some nudity and sex , and should be fine for most teenagers .
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