Fauteuils d'orchestre (2006)

Director:

Danièle Thompson

Writers:

Danièle Thompson (screenplay) and
Christopher Thompson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 February 2006 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A young woman arrives in Paris where she finds a job as a waitress in bar next on Avenue Montaigne that caters to the surrounding theaters and the wealthy inhabitants of the area. She will meet a pianist, a famous actress and a great art collector, and become acquainted with the "luxurious" world her grandmother has told her about since her childhood.

Plot Keywords:

Manager | Pianist | Concert | Bar | Café

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Valérie Lemercier	...	Catherine Versen
Cécile De France	...	Jessica
Albert Dupontel	...	Jean-François Lefort
Claude Brasseur	...	Jacques Grumberg
Christopher Thompson	...	Frédéric Grumberg
Dani	...	Claudie
Laura Morante	...	Valentine Lefort
Suzanne Flon	...	Madame Roux
Sydney Pollack	...	Brian Sobinski
François Rollin	...	Marcel
Guillaume Gallienne	...	Pascal
Annelise Hesme	...	Valérie
Françoise Lépine	...	Magali Garrel
Michel Vuillermoz	...	Félix
Daniel Benoin	...	Daniel Bercoff

Also Known As:

Orchestra Seats (Canada: English title) (festival title) (UK)
Avenue Montaigne (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some strong language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

106 min | USA:100 min (cut)

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:12 | Taiwan:GP | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

15 - Théâtre des Champs Elysées, avenue Montaigne, Paris 8, Paris, France

Company:

Thelma Films

Trivia:

Visa d'exploitation en France # 112436

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dupontel (Jean-François Lefort) gives his concert and takes off his shirt and jacket they change places, first in front of the long end of the piano then in the next cut much closer to the keyboard end.

Movie Connections:

References Taxi Driver (1976)

Soundtrack:

Si tu t'imagines

French Commercial Cinema As Americans Like It!

This is today's French commercial cinema by the numbers: gamin plucky young woman character, check. Over the top if beautiful actress, check. Aging, wise woman, check. Well- preserved dotty grandmother in pearls and Hermes scarf, check. Anguished artist with long- suffering wife, check. Sexy young male actor as counterpoint to gamin plucky young actress, check. Lots of shots of Paris with accordion music, check. Recognizable foreign actor in cameo role, check. Gerard Depardieu -- oops, he missed out on this one. Fire his agent!

All that cynicism aside, this is still an enjoyable, frothy film. It is not quite as imaginative as Amelie, but it is better than much of the French cinema that is being churned out these days. The three plot lines are skillfully woven together and the outcome will satisfy all but the most hard-hearted. Now I guess the question will be, who'll play all these characters when the movie is bought by an American studio and rewritten to take place in New York.

There's got to be something in there for Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Garner, non?