Dussollier brings Stalin back to life in An Ordinary Execution
"You’ve lost your mind, what a ridiculous idea! I don’t look anything like Stalin!" Such was the reaction of André Dussollier when writer Marc Dugain offered him the role of the Soviet dictator in his directorial debut An Ordinary Execution (see news).
But the thesp brilliantly rose to the challenge, thanks to work on his physical appearance (make-up, moustache, wig, weight gain, facial prosthesis to age his skin, sacks of lead attached to his legs to give him a heavy gait…) and his acting talent. There has been unanimous critical praise for his performance, as StudioCanal release the film today.
Also starring Marina Hands and Edouard Baer, the feature looks at how an ailing Stalin exerts his control over a doctor who is also a hypnotic healer. Through manipulation and personal revelations, he instils fear by threatening the young woman’s relationship with her husband.
Several European co-productions are also hitting screens this Wednesday. Among the animated releases, UGC is launching Jorge Blanco and Javier Abad’s Planet 51 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Spain/UK/US); and Gebeka Films is hoping for success with Yona Yona Penguin (France/Japan).
CTV International is releasing Samuel Maoz’s Venice Golden Lion-winner Lebanon [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (Israel/Germany/France); and Warner is launching UK director Guy Ritchie’s US/German co-production Sherlock Holmes.
Finally, the line-up also includes Jean-Michel Carré’s French/Belgian documentary Sex Workers (And Proud Of It) (distributed by Les Films du Grain de Sable); and Eric Lavaine’s French comedy To Protect and Serve [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Pathé Distribution).
At the box office, Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud’s Oceans [+see also:
trailer
film profile] has got off to an excellent start with 636,000 admissions in five days and Joann Sfar’s Je T’aime, Moi Non Plus [+see also:
trailer
Interview with Joann Sfar, director of…
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
film profile] has attracted 745,000 viewers in 12 days.
(Translated from French)
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