EVERYBODY LOVES JEANNE (FILM)

 

Written, directed and with animations by Céline Devaux

Stars: Blanche Gardin and Laurent Lafitte

A Transmission Films release

In cinemas from 7 September

 

Previewed by Len Power 31 August 2023

 

Everybody has always loved Jeanne.  These days, however, she hates herself.

When Jeanne’s much-heralded ‘sea-cleaning machine’ fails monumentally, her life suddenly unravels.  Out of a job and with nowhere to turn next, Jeanne’s internalised self-doubt begins to spill to the surface.  To earn some fast cash, Jeanne heads to Lisbon in Portugal with the hopes of selling her late mother’s flat.

A clever exploration of self-doubt and embarrassment, it’s easy to relate to Jeanne’s interior voice, depicted here in amusing line-drawing animations as the ‘little ghost’.  She might appear cool and collected on the outside but that interior voice is causing major turmoil within.

Men only add to her confusion.  Running into a former classmate, Jean, at the airport, she is thrown by his over-familiar and quirky approach.  A former boyfriend, Vitor, in Lisbon still seems interested but now has a child from an open relationship.  Nothing is straightforward and, for a woman full of self-doubt and no money, life seems overwhelming.

Director and screenwriter, Céline Devaux, artfully juggles Jeanne, the men in her life and her mounting problems.  There’s a lot of truth here amidst the offbeat humour and the screenplay has a sensitivity that is moving as well as funny.

Blanche Gardin, who was very funny dealing with a social media problem in the 2020 film, ‘Delete History’, is superb as Jeanne, cool on the surface but a mess underneath.  Handsome Laurent Lafitte is a delight as the quirky former classmate, Jean.  Who wouldn’t be drawn to the charm of this man, even if he seems a little mad?

Laurent Lafitte (jean) and Blanche Gardin (Jeanne) 

There are good performances, too, from Nuno Lopes as the former boyfriend, Vitor, and Maxence Tual as Jeanne’s brother, Simon.  Marthe Keller makes effective ghost-like appearances as Jeanne’s mother.

Blanche Gardin (Jeanne) and Maxence Tual (Simon)

The film is a reminder that we should not take ourselves or our failures too seriously.  Jeanne’s problems may seem insurmountable and her inner voice is holding her back but is there a glimmer of light at the end of this long tunnel?

 

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.

AUSTRALIAN CHOPIN FESTIVAL PRELUDE (CONCERT)

Kotaro Nagano, piano

Wesley Music Centre, Forrest 27 August

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

Kotaro Nagano has performed in cities across Japan as well as in Europe, Canada and Australia. He was the First Prize Winner and the People’s Choice prize winner of the second Australian International Chopin Piano Competition 2014. He has returned to Canberra many times since to give concerts for the Friends Of Chopin Australia. This was his first recital in Canberra with the Friends since Covid.

This program gave an insight into the major styles that Chopin composed in for the piano. It also demonstrated Chopin’s ability to compose small, intimate miniatures through to major long form works.

The program opened with these shorter works – Mazurkas, Etudes, Preludes and Waltzes. Some were well-known works by Chopin like the Fantasie Impromptu and the Prelude in E minor and the longer Scherzo in E major completed this first part of the program. Nagano impressed with his calm manner and the depth of emotion he achieved in the works. He seemed through his playing to find another dimension in works you thought you knew well.

Kotaro Nagano

The second part of the program commenced with Chopin’s superb Nocturne in E flat major. Again, Nagano gave a thoughtfully restrained edge to this work that made his interpretation truly memorable.  It was followed by the Berceuse in D flat major, a sensitive lullaby. Nagano gave it an appealing softness in his playing.

The final work of the program was Chopin’s Sonata in B minor. This challenging, long work with its changing emotions was given a thrilling performance by Nagano.

As if that was not enough, he calmly gave two encores to the delight of the audience who gave him a well-deserved standing ovation.

Photo by Peter Hislop

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 28 August 2023.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.

 

BOYD MEETS GIRL (CONCERT)

Rupert Boyd, guitar

Laura Metcalf, cello

Wesley Music Centre 26 August

 

Reviewed by Len Power

 

Canberra born classical guitarist, Rupert Boyd, and his American wife, cellist Laura Metcalf, are the duo of Boyd Meets Girl. After a Covid-interrupted Australian tour in 2022, the pair have returned to tour the country with their eclectic mix of music from Bach to the Beatles. They have toured throughout the USA, India, Nepal, New Zealand and every state and territory in Australia.

The duo arranges much of their repertoire themselves, drawing inspiration from artists across all genres. During their performance, they provided the near-capacity audience with interesting anecdotes about the music and why they are playing it. Their intimate, friendly style quickly won the audience over.

Rupert Boyd (guitar) and Laura Metcalf (cello)

Their program included a number of works by Brazilian composers such as Jaime Zenamon, Radamés Gnattali, Chrystian Dozza, Marián Budoš and Heitor Villa-Lobos. Their playing of these pieces brought out all the passion and vibrancy of this music. Dozza’s very busy “Beetle’s Dance” and Budoš’s intricate and atmospheric “A New York Minute” were the highlights of these works.

The well-known Debussy work, “Arabesque No. 1”, with its sublime melody was given another dimension by the combination of guitar and cello and Franz Schubert’s art song, “Gretchen am Spinnrade”, was haunting and sensitively played.

The duo also played J.S. Bach’s keyboard compositions of four short “2-Part Inventions”, in their own refreshing and pleasing arrangements that sounded as it if they must have been composed for guitar and cello.

They also played the arrangement by American composer, Caroline Shaw, of “Shenandoah”.  While the well-known melody was played on the cello, the arrangement for this piece for the guitar gave the work an unexpected memorable depth and emotional sensitivity.

In a lighter mood, they also played two works by Lennon and McCartney, “Blackbird” and “Eleanor Rigby”. These well-known songs with their complex and appealing arrangements were also well played.

Photo by Peter Hislop 

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 27 August 2023.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs.