Picture of the movie Chère Louise (Louise) © DR
1972 : Cannes welcomes Chère Louise (Louise) by Philippe de Broca
Cannes Classics presents a unique and exceptional film from the work of Philippe de Broca. In 1972, Chère Louise (Louise), the result of a collaboration with Jean-Loup Dabadie on the screenplay and Jeanne Moreau on screen, appeared in Competition. But the film’s reception at the time was not quite what the filmmaker expected.
Louise (Jeanne Moreau) lives her life in a double taboo. Divorced and childless in her forties, she becomes infatuated with 20-year-old immigrant, Luigi. The teacher and young worker live together in secret, but their relationship quickly sours as they struggle with the age gap, the weight of Louise's debts and the disapproval of others.
After successful films such as Cartridge, L’Homme de Rio (That Man from Rio) and Le Roi de cœur (King of Hearts), this entry by Philippe de Broca was unlike any other he had made. Chère Louise (Louise) saw him break away from his usual go-to actor, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and embrace a a darker-than-usual style, a melancholy tale. When the film was presented in Competition at the 1972 Festival de Cannes, the film was not favourably received. Years later, in 1990, the filmmaker recalled the event and spoke on TV about having "suffered a massacre".
With hindsight, Philippe de Broca was able to recognise the value of the film so heavily criticised at Cannes but so appreciated by the public, calling it an "exercise in style" that made him realise the importance of photography in the rest of his career.
A presentation by TF1 Studio. New 4K restored version by TF1 Studio and Warner Bros. from the original negatives. Digital work carried out by the VDM laboratory in 2021. Upcoming theatrical release: Les Acacias. Blu-ray collector's release: Coin de Mire.
