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Almaric’s new movie
Mathieu Almaric, who’s probably the best actor from France these days, also proved Wednesday night that he’s one of the best directors at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
His new movie, “Tournee,” which translates as “On Tour” in English, crackles with hipster sensibilities, detailing the troubled tour of a group of New Burlesque strip teasers who travel through France.
Although the movie is fictional, it features a group of real-life strippers from the U.S., all of whom are throwbacks, with platinum hair and fan dances. Almaric plays the washed-up promoter who promises to show them France. As it turns out, however, he has lots of history, and his prospects for ever arranging a performance in Paris are limited.
The performers end up in a series of questionable hotels, and their tour is far from cool. They tend to get overly excited about the smallest things, including the routine delivery of pizza. But they oddly inspire nearly everyone who attends their show. They insist that they’re in control and that they’ll perform as they see fit. Hence, the feminism.
Almaric has made a name for himself by portraying dysfunction. He was the troubled son of Catherine Deneuve in “A Christmas Tale.” He was the dying, mute patient in “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” But most people probably know him as the bad guy in the last Bond movie, “Quantum of Solace.”
Here, he’s a loner who has lots of enemies in Paris and even fewer friends among his family. His wife has breast cancer. His two sons don’t really know him. And he’s betting his future on a bunch of U.S. strippers.
The setup might sound a bit odd. But Almaric, as both lead actor and director, makes the most of the situation. His plight oddly mirrors the vulnerability and neediness of the people he’s trying to promote.
The movie is reminiscent of one of my favorite films from my childhood: Joanne Woodward in “The Stripper.” I still can’t understand why that sweet, vulnerable movie hasn’t gained more of a cult following. I think Amalric’s new flick might renew interest in what I consider to be an American classic. If not, then Almaric’s movie will stand on its own.
Associated Press photo: Actress Mimi Le Meaux, left, actor and director Mathieu Amalric, center, and actress Dirty Martini, right, pose during a photo call for “Tournee”, at the 63rd international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 13, 2010.
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