Meilleur espoir féminin (2000) User Reviews

Tres cute!

[Sparklingdiamond_25 · 4 July 2000]

This was my in-flight movie on a flight from Paris to Cincinatti, and I must admit, I enjoyed this French flick much more than the American movies I've seen in recent months. It's not rolling-out-of-your chair funny, and it's not a heartbreaking drama. It's just a good movie. You'll laugh, and I cried. So get a copy dubbed in English, or go for the subtitles, and enjoy this cute little film.

Meilleur Humaine

[writers_reign · 9/10 · 5 April 2005]

One sign of good writing is how they deal with the Exposition and it's not necessarily how Quickly but how Smoothly. Seamless is good. This is an excellent example; the credits roll over a small seaside town telling us all we need to know about the kind of town it is and come to rest naturally on the hairdressing salon of Yvon Rance (Gerard Jugnot) whose clientèle, virtually all blue-rinse matrons is established equally quickly whilst the main exception, a teenage boy who wants only Laetitia to cut his hair establishes that there is a daughter of the house and presumably a looker. Within minutes Yvon begins to fret about the absence of this daughter to the extent of leaving his salon and asking the patron and teenage customers of the neighboring bar if they have seen her - there is even time for the wife of the patron to arrange a tryst with Yvon who leaves with no concrete knowledge of his daughter. Through all this there has been no talk, hint or suggestion of a Madame Rance and without being told we know that there isn't one. In less than five minutes screen time we have come to know a middle-aged man who is still virile and worries/is over protective of a 17 year old daughter. Within a few minutes more we meet the daughter herself who, instead of sitting exams at school has not only been for an audition but has landed the lead in a major film. Now the stage is set for comedy, drama, the whole nine yards. There seems to be only one other comment on this film which makes a point that I will second, namely that this is not the funniest film you'll ever see but neither is it the most dramatic or tragic. Yes, there ARE laughs, lots of laughs and yes, there ARE tears, perhaps not so many but enough. Mostly these are REAL people not cardboard and we ARE able to care about them, to laugh or even perhaps wince at the way a single father's concern manifests itself, and to cry a little when the chick flies the nest and, just as we know she will, gets her wings burned before maturing and leaving us with a warm feeling by reel #10. The more I see of Geral Jugnot the more I find myself thinking of him in terms of a French Jack Lemmon, a man who exudes decency from every pore yet can induce tears of laughter and happiness effortlessly and still make us cry dramatically if necessary. The fact that he writes and directs as well as acts is all the more remarkable. This movie won't set the world on fire but it will warm the occasional heart which is no bad thing.

Minor Jugnot vehicle.

[Mozjoukine · 1 January 2013]

This one is disappointing for those familiar with Jugnot's best work, which was still to come when he turned out this slight, agreeable piece.

Hair dresser Gerard is part of a quirky village society, when his school age daughter Berenice gets a movie part. Expectations of a pleasant jokey little comedy are dashed as the complications move into weepy and then back again.

There are some agreeable surprises - the glimpse of Bejo's performance, the charming wife character introducing unexpected developments.

Minimal film form but it is a chance to see Bejo emerging.

Curious the way that the plot of David GOLDER keeps on coming back in French film - as HOMME AU CHAPEAU ROND or this film.