Mademoiselle

I do think Lioret is one of the best contemporary French director.His three last works (from "Je Vais Bien Ne T'en Fais Pas" onward)are among the best French production of the first decade of the 21th century.

"Mademoiselle" ,his third effort ,is not,IMHO,in the same league ,but it does show its director would be a name to reckon with in the following years.

It's actually a long flashback,a process which was more used in the old cinema;it makes sense,for the principal,played by a wonderful Sandrine Bonnaire ,realizes that she has missed a lot by not following her true desires ("Toutes Nos Envies" is the title of Lioret's latest):not only she did not become a stage actress but she has also probably lost the man (Jacques Gamblin ,much better at ease in the intimate drama than he is in the thriller)of her lifetime.

So she remembers 24 precious hours of her life,when she met a group of comedians who acted as entertainers in weddings ,retirement parties. Humor is not absent and the scene of the petition is a great moment of fun.The "speeches" in the gardens of the bride's father's desirable mansion introduce a bizarre emotion .And the little lighthouse and Pierre's story predate another Lioret 's movie "L'Equipier" ,in which the heroes are lighthouse keepers.

Why this title? The word is used once in the whole movie ,but for the heroine,it means her salad days ,when everything was still possible.