Patrick

I've been in movie mode this week and just saw Chicago and The Hours. Both times sat through a preview for a new movie "coming soon" called Le Divorce. It looks like a Paris lover's dream. Any advance buzz about it?

Jayelle

"Le Divorce" is a book by Diane Johnson that I assume this film is based on. I really enjoyed the book. Its about an American woman from California who comes to Paris to help out her sister who is going through a divorce from her French husband. Its very funny, and highlights a lot of the differences between the two cultures. I look forward to seeing the movie.

BTilke

Thanks for the heads up! Did you recognize any of the actors? Who played the lead roles?<BR>

Celine

<BR>It's starring Kate Hudson, Naomi Wats, Melvil Poupaud, Thierry Lhermitte and Glenn Close. <BR>Director: James Ivory.<BR>It's not yet released in France.

BTilke

I did find this news release (so printing it is NOT a copyright violation!):<BR>Filming has begun on Fox Searchlight's &quot;Le Divorce,&quot; a contemporary comedy directed by three-time Academy Award&reg;-nominated director James Ivory (&quot;The Remains of the Day,&quot; &quot;Howards End,&quot; &quot;A Room with a View&quot. Kate Hudson (&quot;Almost Famous&quot and Naomi Watts (&quot;Mulholland Dr.&quot head up the ensemble cast that has collectively earned four Golden Globes, four Emmy awards, one French Cesar Award and 10 Oscar&reg; nominations. The award-winning cast includes Glenn Close, Stockard Channing, Sam Waterston, Matthew Modine, Bebe Neuwirth, Stephen Fry, Leslie Caron, Thierry Lhermitte, Romain Duris, Melvil Poupaud, Jean-Marc Barr and Lambert Wilson.<BR><BR>Director James Ivory and two-time Academy Award&reg;-winning writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (&quot;The Remains of the Day,&quot; &quot;Howards End&quot adapted the script from Diane Johnson's best-selling novel of the same name. Four-time Oscar&reg; nominee Ismail Merchant and Michael Schiffer will produce. Radar Pictures' Ted Field, Erica Huggins and Scott Kroopf will executive produce. The shoot is scheduled to finish June 1, 2002.<BR><BR>Fox Searchlight has worldwide distribution rights to &quot;Le Divorce,&quot; and is planning for a 2003 release in the United States. &quot;Le Divorce&quot; is a modern-day comedy of manners. American sisters Isabel (Kate Hudson) and Roxy (Naomi Watts) come face to face with the complicated social mores of French society. Pregnant and jilted by her scoundrel husband, Roxy is headed for &quot;Le Divorce,&quot; while Isabel leaps into l'amour with a married, French diplomat who happens to be the uncle of Roxy's soon-to-be-ex. Culture clash and scandal ensue as the sisters learn what it really takes to be an American in Paris.<BR><BR>I read the novel years ago and it's packed away in storage, so here's one question: who is Olivia? That is the character Glenn Close is supposed to play. I can't remember who she is...I know the two girls are Roxanne and Isabel. Is Olivia the American writer? My creaky, aging memory...

Bree

BTilke -- Yes, Olivia is the American writer. Like you, I read the book years ago and couldn't remember who was who, but I found the answer in a discussion of the film on Merchant-Ivory's website (http://www.merchantivory.com/californians.html). I had a vague recollection that the last scene in the book took place at Disneyland Paris, but apparently that's been changed in the movie, because the article says, &quot;after Disneyland in Paris refused to let them shoot a climactic scene there, Mr. Merchant invited the deputy mayor to lunch and persuaded him to clear out the Eiffel Tower on short notice and filmed it there.&quot; Sounds like an improvement to me.<BR>

SharonG

I love that book. Also saw the previews. The only thing that bothers me is they seem to have changed the older (70?) French lover to someone much younger, maybe in his 30's. I guess that's Hollywood for you.

Julia

Patrick, just curious: what did you think of &quot;The Hours?&quot;

KitinFt.Worth

Thanks for the post. My local library has this book and I am going to read it. Apparantly there is another book by Diane Johnson called Le Mariage that was written after Le Divorce. <BR>Thanks Patrick for the post.

Patrick

Since you asked, I loved The Hours. I saw in last week and an invitational preview. The three ladies and Ed Harris all turn in remarkable performances. I love it when I don't know a thing about a movie when I go in, and had no idea where this one was going -- which added greatly to my enjoyment.<BR>But I found Chicago nothing short of brilliant. The double staging of every musical number (&quot;real&quot; life alternated with the &quot;staged&quot; life) managed to successfully achieve what I always thought the recent revival and its theatricality had attmepted to achieve. But it will now be hard to view a stage production of the show after seeing this film version. The film actually managed to create more theatricality that the stage version -- something I never thought I'd say about a film musical.

Francie

To add to the above posts...and a bit of trivia. <BR><BR>The film is being shot in Paris, and at the Cafe de Flore, Paris. A landmark since the 1890s. Favorite of many 19th century writers, one...Jean Paul Sarte.<BR>It is located on the Blvd. St. Germain in the 6th Arrondissment.<BR><BR>Originally Winona Ryder and Natalie Portman were scheduled to appear in this movie, but NP had to bow out as a relative had been shot in Israel. You know about WR.<BR><BR>P.S. I, too, loved the movie &quot;Chicago.&quot; Highly recommend it.<BR>Francie

Kate

I found myself comparing them to the stage versions that I had seen. I saw the first with Jerry Orbach and Chita Rivera, then a few years ago Bebe Newirth and Ann Reinking, so needless to say, the Hollywood bunch had a lot to live up to in my eyes<BR>I found Richard Gere weak. But he acts so well, I forgave him<BR>Catherine Zeta Jones was the best dancer and singer of the two, and the most experienced.<BR>And little Miss Renee Zelwigger ,as the NYTimes put it, had a voice like Minnie Mouse and left foot dancing&quot;, but she was charming so we forgave her!<BR>I have read Le Divorce and while it was not that fascinating, it might make an excellent movie, with that location and some good stars!<BR>I wonder if the sequel to the book, Le Marriage will be filmed as a sequel also.

HuisClos

I LOVE Theirry Lhermitte!! Been waiting to see him again since the Dinner Game and The Closet!

Gay

Did anyone see Thierry Lhermitte in the 80's movie &quot;Until September&quot; with American actress w/last name of Adams? This was a wonderfully &quot;french &quot; movie even tho it was American. I wish there were more movies made in Paris...it has such an allure.<BR>When I was a student at the Sorbonne in 1978-79 I was an extra in a movie called &quot;French Postcards&quot; starring Debra Winger (one of her first films) and Marie-France Pisier and Jean Roachefort...what a blast...I made $100 a day and skipped school for it. THe movie was made by the same folks that produced American Grafitti. The movie never made it really big though. But it was very realistic of Americans studying in Paris. What memories!

Terese

Will keep an eye out for it.

HuisClos

Gay,<BR>I bought that movie on ebay! One of my favorites! The sad news is, the french girl in the movie (the girl in the bookstore) died a little while after that, I think in an auto accident. She had just started to become a well known actress.

Arista

For those interested in Le Mariage, the novel Johnson wrote after Le Divorce -- it's nowhere near as good as the first book. I found it tedious and irritating, and it doesn't go anywhere. It's not a sequel to Le Divorce, it involves different characters.

oberost

Just saw the &quot;Bourne Idenity&quot; on CD and<BR>really enjoyed the scenes of Paris!

sfowler

Oh yeeeesssssss ....... Thierry Lhermitte in &quot;Until September&quot; Oh YES<BR><BR>Let me also recommend the film &quot;Happenstance&quot; which is the film that the star of Am&eacute;lie, Audrey Tatou is also in. It's much slower .. but it's also nice

Elizabeth_S

Seeing as we've veered (a bit!) off travel here - I just finished &quot;Life of Pi&quot; by Yann Martel - the Booker award winner. It was absolutely charming and I highly recommend it. (the travel connection is slight, but he is on a boat!)