Folies Bergère is a comedy that looks at the marriage of cattle breeders Brigitte and Xavier Lecanu, living in rural France. As their last child moves out of home, Brigitte and Xavier’s relationship seems to be undergoing a period of adjustment.
So when a bunch of early-20s partygoers rent the house next door, Brigitte decides to go along on the invitation of a handsome young Parisian. After a night of successful flirting, Brigitte heads to Paris, under the guise of a doctor’s appointment, in order to pursue her young man.
While at first the film seems to be about Brigitte’s quest to regain her youth, it instead becomes something else, exploring Brigitte and Xavier’s relationship, and the question of fidelity within their marriage. The film also manages to remain unbiased in examining Brigitte and Xavier’s marriage, refusing to judge either party for the decisions they make, and sharing narrative perspective between the two characters.
I’m yet to see Isabelle Huppert put in a disappointing performance, and her role as Brigitte in Folies Bergèreis no exception. Jean-Pierre Darroussin is equally outstanding as Xavier, with the two actors playing the ageing married couple so comfortably that it seems impossible they haven’t worked together before.
Folies Bergère is very much a light comedy. Huppert plays the comedienne with ease, and Darroussin is equally loveable and hilarious in his role as the fuddy-duddy husband. That being said, the film is also a very tender portrait of a marriage, and manages to retain sincerity through all of the quirky hijinks.
4/5 stars
Folies Bergère opens in cinemas on Thursday December 11.
