Film: Copacabana
Due Out: No US distributor yet
Cast includes: Isabella Huppert (The Piano Teacher), Aure Atika (Mademoiselle Chambon), Lolita Chammah (The Intruder)
Writer/Director: Marc Fitousse (La vie d’artiste)
Genre: Comedy/Light Drama (2010) French with subtitles
In brief: These days it’s almost impossible for Babou to win her daughter’s approval. Babou and Esméralda used to be so close. “Her boyfriend’s the problem… bourgeois and superficial,” Babou tells her friends. When Esmee comes for dinner, she tells her mother she’s planning to marry bourgeois Justin. And if that news isn’t bad enough… the couple would like Babou NOT to come to the wedding. They don’t want any embarrassment… which tends to be a constant issue with Babou. Esmee has already told Justin’s parents that Babou’s in Brazil and can’t come to the wedding. Esmee chooses Brazil for the cover story because it’s one of the places Babou has never been. And it’s her latest obsession.
Instead of going to Brazil, what Babou really needs is to get a job and earn back her daughter’s respect. That job turns out to be in Oostende, a Belgium seaside town, where Babou will be selling time-share apartments to tourists. Babou has never been able to hold on to a job, so there’s little hope that this one will work out. In an attempt to warm up to Oostende, Babou finds herself befriending some locals. Her new friends turn out to be both helpful and hurtful. And much to everyone’s surprise, Babou seems to have a knack for selling time-shares. But it’s not part of Babou’s character to capitalize on her successes, and somehow we suspect her bad luck will return.
Babou could best be described as a throwback to the nonconformists of the hippy era… except in Babou’s case, the nonconformity comes from within. She always means well, but she’s rarely tuned into what’s actually going on around her. It’s a wonderful comic role, played amazingly by Isabella Huppert. Huppert seems like an unusual casting choice given the somber characters she’s become known for, but this role could change things for her. Her true-life daughter plays Esmee and the chemistry works well. This is a charming film with elements of both comedy and tragedy. It’s a mystery why the film hasn’t been picked up yet by a US distributer But it’s gotten responsive audiences at Lincoln Center and MoMA.
3 popped kernels
Totally charming tale about a bold yet flawed nonconformist in a world that favors fitting in
Popcorn Profile
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Upbeat
Tempo: Cruses comfortably
Visual Style: Nicely varnished realism
Character Development: Intense
Language: French
Social Significance: Thought provoking
