Entre Nous [Blu-ray]

Director: Diane Kurys Diane Kurys

Overview

French filmmaker Diane Kurys directs the period drama Coup de Foudre (distributed in the U.S. as Entre Nous), adapted from a book she co-wrote with Olivier Cohen. The semi-autobiographical story is based on the life of the director's mother. Lena (Isabelle Huppert) is a Jewish refugee from Belgium living in occupied France during WWII. In order to avoid being sent to a German concentration camp, she agrees to marry the discharged military officer Michel (Guy Marchand). He tries to provide a decent life for her by running an auto repair business. They have two children together, but Lena is unhappy and stifled by her domestic life. Michel doesn't offer her the sensitivity and affection that she requires. Meanwhile, in Paris, the extroverted artist Madeleine (Miou-Miou) mourns the accidental death of her husband. After the liberation of France, she marries actor Costa (Jean-Pierre Bacri) and has children of her own. In 1952, Lena and Madeleine meet by chance in Lyons. The two women develop an emotional relationship that borders on romantic involvement. Their bond is only strengthened by a mutual dissatisfaction with their husbands, children, and home life in general. Entre Nous was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1983.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/29/2022
UPC:	0738329260064
Original Release:	1983
Rating:	PG
Source:	Cohen Media Group
Language:	English
Time:	1:51:00
Sales rank:	7,281

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Isabelle Huppert	Lena
Miou-Miou	Madeleine
Guy Marchand	Michel
Jean-Pierre Bacri	Costa
Robin Renucci	Raymond
Patrick Bauchau	Carlier
Jacques Alric	Monsieur Vernier
Jacqueline Doven	Madame Vernier
Patricia Champane	Florence
Saga Blanchard	Sophie
Guillaume LeGuellec	Rene
Christine Pascal	Sarah
Anne Levy	Maria
Dominique Lavanant	Presenter
Nils Tavernier	Actor,Militia Man
Francois Cluzet	Soldier
Jacqueline Doyen	Madame Vernier
Gérard Chambre	Actor
Jacques Blal	Lionel Feldman
Bernard Cazassus	Station Chief
Anne Fabien	Elegant Woman
Jean-Claude de Goros	Cabaret Boss
Denis Lavant	Soldier
Sonia Pfirmann	Louisa Feldman
Pascal Pistacio	Soldier
Serge Ruben	André Feldman
Luis Bacalov	Composer

Technical Credits

Diane Kurys	Director
Ariel Zeitoun	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Diane Kurys' semi-autobiographical account of a long-term friendship between two women is a complex evocation of shifting gender roles. In 1952 France, two women meet at their children's school. Lena Isabelle Huppert is a Jewish refugee who married to avoid deportation and Madeleine Miou-Miou is an aristocratic woman with an artistic streak. Both unhappy in their marriages, they quickly develop a close relationship, with the film focusing on the attraction of the initially self-effacing Lena to the restless, charismatic Madeleine. Kurys' insistence on the mediocrity of the two husbands is somewhat disingenuous, since both women made marriages of convenience. Yet given the restrictive mores of the time and place, one sympathizes with the women's dreams of leaving their mates to start a business together. Ultimately, the most moving aspect of the film is the painful effect of the breakup of Lena's marriage on her two daughters, the younger of whom is based on Kurys herself. While the actions of the two women often seem cold and self-serving, it's difficult to envision a viable alternative outcome, a testament to the film's sense of truth. Huppert is impressive as a woman beginning to blossom for the first time in her life, and Miou-Miou is a believably striking catalyst.

All Movie Guide - Michael Costello