Nelly et M. Arnaud

France/Italy/Germany 1995 (subtitles)
106 minutes
Directed by Claude Sautet
Leading players - Emmanuelle Béart, Michel Serrault, Jean-Hugues Anglade

Synopsis

Beautiful Nelly (Emmanuelle Béart), trapped in an unhappy marriage and struggling to meet her debts by holding various jobs, meets M. Arnaud (Michel Serrault), a friend of her mother's, 40 years her senior. He is instantly infatuated, offers to pay her debts and gives her a job typing his memoirs.

"Serrault (Flossy Albin in the original film, 'La Cage aux Folles') is a master at expressing passion through discretion. Béart ('Manon des Sources', 'Un Coeur en Hiver'), routinely described as the most beautiful young actress in France, makes deft use of her Cocteau-painting eyes and her shy, wonderfully knowing smile. Together they create a lovely love story from what could have been a farce. Old man, pretty woman; beguiling little film." - Roger Ebert.

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"Claude Sautet manages to create a sympathetic-view of both characters, and draws the audience gradually into the world of the film through a well-judged mixture of ardour, sorrow and humour." (1996 Spring Viewing Sessions)

The film won two "Césars": for the director and Michel Serrault and received a high reaction mark from the Viewing Session audience.