Based on the novels by irene nemirovsky, the story is set in france during the german occupation. This has been dubbed the best ever film about the great war by the times. Michelle williams, matthias schoenaerts, kristin scott thomas. The ensuing blend of romance and suspense is easy to imagine as a studio film from the wartime era, and dibb is smart enough to play on that familiar. Suite francaise is fine filmmaking well worth watching.
Suite francaise london film premiere, mayfair hotel. The wonderful cast, superb acting, cinematography, realism, careful choice of sets, costumes, attention to detail and immediacy of the story, as well as the brooding atmosphere, all combine to make this film an absolute classic that can be watched many times over. It shows the nazis did not truly succeed in killing her. Suite francaise appeared in france in 2004 and became a best seller. The title is the most authentically french thing about suite francaise, a fusty but enjoyably oldfashioned wwii soaper that, notwithstanding its gallic locale, is otherwise characterized by. The reallife story behind irene nemirovskys suite francaise is a compelling one. This is a handsome and intelligent adaptation of the writings of irene nemirovsky the russianborn french writer who died in auschwitz and. Based on the bestselling book by irene nemirovsky and set during the german occupation of france in the 1940s, suite francaise tells the story of lucille angellier as she awaits news from her. Go behind the scenes of suite francaise, the wartime romantic drama that stars michelle williams and matthias schoenaerts, with a couple of newlyreleased featurettes, which shows off some extensive makingof footage, including interviews with the cast and snippets from the movie.
Born in london, england, saul dibb is a graduate of the university of east anglia. The tragic life of suite francaise author irene nemirovsky. Suite francaise movie info and film times london cinema from all in london. Storm in june uses a halfdozen families and individuals to tell of parisians panicky flight southward as the german army approached.
Suite francaise exudes a sense of glossy class in its design, staging and. Margot robbie, ruth wilson, michelle williams, matthias schoenaerts, lambert wilson, kristin scott thomas, sam riley, harriet walter genre. Her daughter kept her unpublished works for 50 years without reading them but, when released, they. As the german occupation of france develops, so does suite francaise, a novel planned to be divided into five parts, three of which are. Suite francaise follows beautiful lucile angellier who awaits news from her husband, a prisoner of war whilst leading a stifled existence with her domineering mother. The contradictions in this poignant love story make the film compelling viewing.
This anne frank back story is more poignant than the romance in the book and the movie. Joness score was recorded at the abbey road studios in london. So when i looked at the imdb page for this film after having seen the adverts on the sides of buses for three weeks, and finding out that it was about a. Matthias schoenaerts shots of the stars of suite francaise as they attended the premiere which was held at the mayfair hotel in london, united kingdom thursday 12th march 2015 2 pictures. While most of the networks movies focus on current issues and events. As parisian refugees pour into their small town, soon followed by a regiment of german soldiers who take up residence in the villagers homes. Original motion picture soundtrack with a score by emmywinning composer rael jones. Michelle williams, kristin scott thomas, matthias schoenaerts star in the second world war romance suite francais. He is best known for cowriting and directing bullet boy, for which he was nominated for the douglas hickox award, the line of beauty, and the duchess. Peter rabbit, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers, now takes on the starring role of his own irreverent, contemporary comedy with attitude. When hollywood adapts great literature into a movie, it is best not to expect too much, and merely feel thankful that anything has been salvaged. The nowcelebrated origins of suite francaise, which became a publishing sensation in 2004, are as startling and extraordinary as anything on screen arguably more so.
French courses online or at our venue, film screenings, library collections, kids activities, festivals, talks and concerts. Dame kristin ann scott thomas dbe born 24 may 1960 is an englishfrench actress. Suite francaise is on netflix after years on harvey. The first outdoor shots were filmed in marville, a town at the frenchbelgian border.
Matthias schoenaerts is very believable as the nazi with a soft centre. The film adaptation starts during the fall of france in june 1940 with the. It is an extraordinary feeling to have brought my mother back to life. Suite francaise is a 2015 britishfrenchbelgian romantic world war ii drama film directed by. Suite francaise, by irene nemirovsky the new york times. An air of melancholy pervades irene nemirovskys suite francaise, due both to the novellas themselves and to the circumstances in which they were written and those that prevented the author finishing the suite. Suite francaise film times in london cinema guide from. And the film also benefits from an extraordinarily textured performance by michelle. Five times a bafta award nominee and five times olivier award nominee, she won the bafta award for best actress in a supporting role for four weddings and a funeral 1994 and the olivier award for best actress in 2008 for the royal court revival of the seagull. A smalltown girl born and raised in rural kalispell, montana, michelle ingrid williams is the daughter of carla ingrid swenson, a. The film is on international cinema release in 2015.
Bbc films talks to director saul dibb and star matthias schoenaerts about suite francaise. It is extraordinary to think that these novellas were being written as the events of ww2 unfolded, not with retrospect. Mcgregor domhnall gleeson escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warmhearted animal lover who lives next door rose byrne. What has been done to suite francaise is a crime, a crime which will pass unnoticed among cinemagoers who have not read the novel, because the film is a perfectly pleasant, wellmade concoction. The film stars michelle williams, kristin scott thomas, matthias schoenaerts, sam riley, ruth wilson, lambert wilson and margot robbie. Waiting for news of her prisonerofwar husband, a french woman in nazioccupied france reluctantly falls for a german officer quartering in her home. Tale of forbidden love and survival in nazioccupied france. Ukranian author irene nemirovsky died in auschwitz in 1942. The tale of forbidden love between a local woman and a highranking german officer in nazioccupied france called for a sleepy wartime village and wide open meadows. A ponderous adaptation of irene nemirovskys novel set in occupied france. Based on the bestselling book by irene nemirovsky and set during the second world war german occupation of france, suite francaise tells the story of lucile angellier michelle williams as she awaits news from her husband a prisoner of war.
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