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The Bridge

1999, Movie, NR, 87 mins

The Bridge: Review

BRIDGE, THE | UN PONTE ENTRE DEUX RIVES
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No longer content simply to appear in every other film produced in France, Gerard Depardieu has decided to direct as well. And while there's little danger of his appearing on a short list of great auteurs anytime soon, this sensitively acted drama, co-directed with Fred Auburtin, shows a filmmaker willing to allow his fine cast (which, naturally, includes himself) to do most of the work. It's the early 1960s, and in the sunny village of Yvetot a 15-year-old marriage is quietly ending. Georges (Depardieu), whose business has fallen on hard times, has taken a job working on a new suspension bridge. The job site is sufficiently distant that Georges must spend weekdays away from his wife, Mina (Carole Bouquet), and their son (Stanislas Crevillen). Mina, meanwhile, has taken a part-time job keeping house for the wealthy Daboval family; she whiles away her leisure hours at the local cinema. One afternoon, during a matinee of West Side Story, Mina notices the stranger (Charles Berling) seated next to her weeping during "Tonight." Sweet, she thinks, and agrees to join him for a drink; a few nights later, she agrees to join him in his bed. Stifled by the boredom of her marriage and small-town life, Mina embarks on a reckless affair, even after learning that her lover is not only related to the Dabovals, but is also George's supervisor. The film is based on a popular novel that's been called France's Bridges of Madison County, but Depardieu deftly evokes the class conflict that both divides Georges and Mina from people like the Dabovals and contributes to Mina's desire. Young Crevillen is surprisingly good in a small, pivotal role, but the film's greatest pleasure is Bouquet. It's been 25 years since her debut in THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE, and she's still as fresh as a daisy. leave a comment --Ken Fox
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