Alice et Martin

English title: Alice and Martin

Genre: character study

With: Alexis Loret (Martin as an adult), Pierre Maguelon (Victor Sauvagnac, his father), Carmen Maura (Jeanine, his mother), Mathieu Amalric (Benjamin), Juliette Binoche (Alice), Jeremy Kreikenmayer (Martin as a boy), Roschdy Zem (Saïd)

Director: André Téchiné

Release: 1998

Studio: Les Films Alain Sarde, Vértigo Films, France 2 Cinéma et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.0/10

‟We have to find the courage to be happy.”

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Story-line: when 10-year-old Martin leaves his mother to visit his industrialist father he scarcely knows, he does so reluctantly but ends up staying 10 years at the paternal home in Southern France. Then, very abruptly, he leaves home, commits a petty crime and heads north to Paris where he hitches up with one of his half-brothers.

Pluses: steady pacing and direction, a screenplay that provides ample psychological development, a convincing cast (I’m a big fan of Mathieu Amalric) and, most importantly, Juliette Binoche’s resplendent display of star power.  

Minuses: none really, although you musn’t expect breathless action from ALICE ET MARTIN. This movie is all about lives evolving through time and circumstance, sometimes dramatically, sometimes unpredictably.

Comments: here’s a good example of high-quality European moviemaking: charismatic characters, an efficient narrative, appropriate production values and a surprising ending. Téchiné, like Sautet and Chabrol, specializes in personal movies and ALICE ET MARTIN bears witness to his attentive craftsmanship. 

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