Claude Lelouch • Director
And now... love is the dream
by Chiara Nano
- A fairy tale for adults And now... ladies and gentlemen, closes Cannes 2002
Claude Lelouch closed the 55th Cannes Film Festival with And now ladies and gentlement... before a VIP audience that included his cast members lead by his wife, actress Alessandra Marti... Amidou, Claudia Cardinale, Jeremy Irons, Thierry Lhermitte and number one singer-songwriter, Patricia Kass whose acting debut this was.
The opening credits tell us that «life is but a lasting slumber and love is the dream». With this Franco-British co-production, Lelouch spins a magical tale about love and illness where Valentin, a prince amongst thieves (Jeremy Irons) decides to change tack after a near-death experience And now... Ladies and gentlemen, explains the director, «is a fairy tale for adults.»
What inspired you to make this complex film?
Life and the fragrances of life. My film doesn´t follow the rigid format of a script because it is impossible to write a script about life. That is why I rely on my actors to go beyond being mere professionals and remember their humanity with all its potential for expression. Acting must not be an end to itself.
Why did you make a fairy tale?
Because I don't trust anyone in real life. My films are about recurring themes like meetings and love because they reflect my personal journey. Love for me is a holi... it's the one time I allow myself to trust another person. If it weren't for love I'd surely have heart attacks about twenty times a day. That also explains why I make love stories as if I were making a thriller.»
One can understand your diffidence but not the miracle...
My intelligence has limits that I can only overcome using my subconscious, the part of me that moves beyond and performs miracles. For example, I love it when what I call "miraculous" situations happen on set. When they don't happen, I call on my experience as a film director but I always think I have failed. The end result is always a surprise. One of the characters in And now...ladies and gentlemen says, It´s always a little more or a little less than what we expected. Less is when the problems begin: more is when victory is ours.»
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
