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Same Old Song
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Wikipedia article
'Same Old Song' is a 1997 French comedy-drama film. It was directed by Alain Resnais, and written by Agns Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri. Jaoui and Bacri also starred in the film with Sabine Azma, Lambert Wilson, Andr Dussollier and Pierre Arditi.
Plot
Odile (Azma), a business executive, is married to weak, furtive Claude (Arditi). In the past Odile was close to successful businessman Nicolas (Bacri), now married with kids and returning to Paris after an eight-year absence. She is looking for a new, bigger apartment from estate agent Marc (Wilson). Her younger sister Camille (Jaoui), has just completed her doctoral thesis in history and is a Paris tour guide. Simon (Dussollier) is a regular on Camille's tours because he's attracted to her, although he claims to be researching his historical radio dramas. Camille has fallen for Marc, and they begin an affair. Nicolas is also looking for an apartment, since he hopes to eventually have his family join him in Paris.
The most original feature of this "musical" is that characters break into songs as sung by the original artists, i.e. depending on the circumstances, a female character may all of a sudden start singing in a male voice and vice versa. The judicious choice of songs and variety of styles make for some very funny surprises, considering the complete and voluntary absence of transitions between the talking and singing. The film's debt to Dennis Potter is acknowledged with a dedication in the opening credits.
Cast
*Pierre Arditi as Claude Lalande
*Sabine Azma as Odile Lalande, Claude's wife
*Jean-Pierre Bacri as Nicolas
*Andr Dussollier as Simon
*Agns Jaoui as Camille, Odile's younger sister
*Lambert Wilson as Marc Duveyrier, Simon's boss
*Jane Birkin as Jane, the wife of Nicolas
*Franoise Bertin as Little Lady on Tour
*Jean-Paul Roussillon as the father of Odile and Camille
*Jean-Pierre Darroussin as the man with the cheque
*Claire Nadeau and Frdrique Cantrel as Female Guest
Songs
* Josephine Baker : 'J'ai deux amours'
* Dalida and Alain Delon : 'Paroles, paroles'
* Charles Aznavour : 'Et moi dans mon coin'
* Ren Koval : 'C'est dgoutant mais ncessaire'
* Simone Simon : 'Afin de plaire son papa'
* Gaston Ouvrard : 'Je n'suis pas bien portant'
* Albert Prjean : 'Je m'donne'
* Jacques Dutronc : 'J'aime les filles'
* Michel Sardou : 'Dj vu'
* Gilbert Bcaud : 'Nathalie'
* Maurice Chevalier : 'Dans la vie faut pas s'en faire'
* Arletty and Aquistapace : 'Et le reste'
* dith Piaf: 'J'm'en fous pas mal'
* Alain Bashung : 'Vertige de l'amour'
* Sheila : 'L'cole est finie'
* Serge Lama : 'Je suis malade'
* Lo Ferr : 'Avec le temps'
* Henri Garat : 'Avoir un bon copain'
* Jane Birkin : 'Quoi'
* France Gall : 'Rsiste'
* Albert Prjean : 'Amusez-vous'
* Henri Garat : 'La tte qu'il faut faire'
* Alain Souchon : 'Sous les jupes des filles'
* Eddy Mitchell : 'La dernire sance'
* Sylvie Vartan : 'La plus belle pour aller danser'
* Serge Gainsbourg : 'Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais'
* Eddy Mitchell : 'Je vous drange'
* Tlphone : 'a c'est vraiment toi'
* Dranem : 'Quand on perd la tte'
* Johnny Hallyday : 'Ma gueule'
* Pierre Perret : 'Mon p'tit loup'
* Claude Franois : 'Le mal-aim'
* Michel Jonasz : 'J'veux pas qu'tu t'en ailles'
* Julien Clerc : 'Ce n'est rien'
* Claude Franois : 'Chanson populaire'
* Eddy Mitchell : 'Blues du blanc'
Accolades
The film won the Csar Award for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing, Best Editing and Best Sound in 1998. It won the Louis Delluc Prize in 1997. At the 48th Berlin International Film Festival in 1998, Resnais won the Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution.
References
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