Ma saison préférée (1993)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

André Téchiné

Writers:

Pascal Bonitzer (writer)
André Téchiné (writer)

Release Date:

19 April 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Old woman Berthe leaves her house to live in her daugter Emilie's one. Emilie and her brother Antoine...

Plot Keywords:

Real Life Mother And Daughter Playing Mother And Daughter | Farm | Brother Sister Relationship | Lake | Family Relationships

Awards:

1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Catherine Deneuve	...	Emilie
Daniel Auteuil	...	Antoine
Marthe Villalonga	...	Berthe
Jean-Pierre Bouvier	...	Bruno
Chiara Mastroianni	...	Anne
Carmen Chaplin	...	Khadija
Anthony Prada	...	Lucien
Michèle Moretti	...	La directrice
Jacques Nolot	...	L'homme du cimetière
Bruno Todeschini	...	L'homme de l'hôpital
Jean Bousquet	...	Le père d'Emilie
Roschdy Zem	...	Medhi
Ingrid Caven	...	La femme du bar

Directed by
André Téchiné

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pascal Bonitzer		writer
André Téchiné		writer

Produced by
Alain Sarde	....	producer

Original Music by
Philippe Sarde

Cinematography by
Thierry Arbogast

Film Editing by
Martine Giordano

Casting by
Philippe Landowski

Production Design by
Carlos Conti

Costume Design by
Claire Fraisse

Makeup Department
Loli Avellanas	....	hair stylist (as Lolita Avellanas)
Michel Deruelle	....	makeup consultant
Cédric Gérard	....	makeup artist
Agathe Moro	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Jean-Jacques Albert	....	production manager
Eric Duchêne	....	assistant unit manager
Arnaud Dupont	....	unit manager
Erwan Le Luron	....	assistant unit manager
Bruno Vignier	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Denis Bergonhe	....	assistant director
Anne-Isabelle Estrada	....	assistant director
Noelle Leduc	....	assistant director
Guy Mazarguil	....	assistant director
Michel Nasri	....	assistant director
Sebastien Peronne	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jean-Philippe Boghossian	....	props
Renaud Colas	....	property master
Leonardo Haertling	....	assistant property master
Philippe Lacomblez	....	assistant art director
Daniel Mauvignier	....	head painter
David Morel De Saint Jean	....	assistant art director
Alain Pitrel	....	set dresser
Bérenice Rubel	....	assistant property master
Patrick Widdrington	....	head carpenter

Sound Department
Yunus Acar	....	sound assistant
Rémy Attal	....	sound
Eric Ferret	....	sound recordist
Philippe Garnier	....	sound assistant
François Groult	....	sound
Michel Klochendler	....	sound
Jérôme Lévy	....	sound effects
Gérard Mailleau	....	sound assistant
Jean-Luc Marino	....	assistant sound editor
Pascal Mazière	....	assistant foley artist
Pascal Metge	....	sound assistant
Jean-Paul Mugel	....	sound
Bruno Tarrière	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Philippe Hubin	....	special effects supervisor
Bruno Vaillant	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Jean-Louis Airola	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul-Claude Bessière	....	key grip
Pascale Ferradini	....	second assistant camera
Pierric Gantelmi d'Ille	....	second assistant camera
Claude Hirsch	....	gaffer
Jeanne Lapoirie	....	camera operator
Tariel Meliava	....	first assistant camera
Renaud Monziers	....	grip (as Renaud Monzies)
Alain Payet	....	electrician: Toulouse
Pascal Payet	....	electrician: Toulouse
Luis Peralta	....	electrician
Jacques Philipponeau	....	electrician (as Jacques Philipponneau)
Joël Toupense	....	key grip
Isabelle Weingarten	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christiane Fageol	....	head wardrobe
Marie-Dominique Gerbet	....	wardrobe
Tess Hammami	....	wardrobe assistant
Tess	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Yvan Lucas	....	color timer
Pierre Réali	....	color timer
Catherine Schwartz	....	assistant editor
Carole Verner	....	trainee assistant editor

Other crew
Marylène Dastugue	....	production secretary
Christian Inizan	....	groupman
Nicole Lenfant	....	production administrator
Kim Nguyen	....	script supervisor trainee
Nausicaa Palau	....	production secretary
Dominique Segall	....	press attache
Claudine Taulère	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• D.A. Films
• Les Films Alain Sarde
• TF1 Films Production

Distributors

• AMLF (France)
• Film Arte (Argentina)
• Filmopolis Pictures (1996) (USA) (subtitled)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (video)
• Vértigo Films (Spain)

Other Companies

• Eclair  film lab
• Microfilms  titles
• Studios de Billancourt  sound studio
• Tri-Track Sync  post-synchronization

Also Known As:

My Favorite Season (International: English title)

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:M18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Australia:MA | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, France

Company:

D.A. Films

Trivia:

Selected as the opening film at the 46th Cannes Film Festival in 1993.

Soundtrack:

Malaïka

Complex, touching, down-to-earth, cruel - it should have taken the Palme d'Or in 1993

Once again I was watching a Téchiné film and found myself gaping with amazement at how terribly well the dialogues are written, and how incredibly well it is all acted (by Catherine Deneuve and Daniel Auteuil, which, I suppose, doesn't need any further explanation, but the others are also all excellent in their roles). Every single sentence is like a strike of the hammer on the consciousness of anyone who has experienced dysfunctional family life - and I think I'm not the only one.

What is more, after I went to bed, the thoughts just kept coming, unfolding from one another, leading to interrelations between the people, the situations, the conversations and also to conclusions, some of which might not even have been intended, but still fit perfectly into the mosaic of the film, because the director had a perfect vision and created a world that functions on its own.

It is a very atmospheric movie. It is artistic, but not in the abstract way - it's as down to earth as possible, as grounded in reality as it can be - and anyone who has been part of such a family will realise this instantly. It does suggest things, but then it also claims them, but in a language that puts into words the unsayable. Things get said out loud; still, it never sounds didactic or threadbare. It just portrays what IS; it never judges - as it is showing exactly how impossible it is to judge any human behaviour, when there are so many unseen forces in play behind it. And the real mystery is how on earth the film avoids being depressing... But it's Téchiné's secret, and I'm glad he has it.

I have never seen the complexity of human feelings and family relationships told so realistically, yet so sublimely before. If you only like action-packed blockbuster movies, this is definitely not for you. Otherwise, I can only recommend it, and it's a perfectly round 10.