Charlotte Gainsbourg is a French and British actress who has made films in several different countries: France, America, UK, Australia. In fact, my first time to see her in a film and began to take notice was the 2010 Australian film, The Tree. I actually thought she was Australian until I saw her in several more films. While she is not a raving beauty like Audrey Fleurot or a funny – cutsie actress like Audrey Tautou, I find her very cerebral and sophisticated, which makes her gorgeous. The roles she has played have been quite diverse, and like a chameleon she could be given almost any storyline and make you believe she is this person. Her movements on screen make her seem quite flexible almost like a puppet with no strings (Pinocchio). I say this because she is not what you would typically call graceful when she walks, I can’t imagine trying to imitate her and yet she is fascinating with this signature style she seems to own. Maybe France knows and understands her, but here in the U.S. I think we need to pay more attention, especially those of us who can handle her type of films.
While Charlotte is the famous daughter of the rebellious singer Serge Gainsbourg (whom she made a very controversial video and song with at the age of 12) and Jane Birkin (of the Birkin bag fame), she would not have needed their names with all the talent she owns unto herself. Unlike Liza Minelli who always seemed adept at imitating her mother, Charlotte has created her own persona. Since I am not French, I actually came to know her parents after watching her movies and wanting to learn more about “her.”
The Australian movie, The Tree, was a mystical film about a mother and daughter who share an affinity, in their grief, for having auditory perceptions from husband/father after he crashed into said tree. I love the spiritual mysticism genre when it is correctly orchestrated in film – meaning no special effects. I found myself attracted to the nature of this topic when it came up on some film channel. This is what drew me in to learning about Charlotte.
The French film, The Little Thief, I may or may not have seen later. The Bicycle Thief is muddling my head around with this film, even though they are two entirely different storylines – or are they? With The Little Thief, I can’t recall the film so much as I do the cover image – this one I need to start over with.
Ismail’s Ghosts is another film I am clear that I saw and this is about two women who shared a love for the same man. I remember being enthralled by this movie at the time and the difficulties with the topic, the woman who was thought to be gone, returns and causes conflict for the man (and the women). Only in France or Europe I should say, can they handle a psychological romance that makes you feel for both women in a ménage à trois themed situation. Good acting can take you anywhere the director wants you to go.
Confessions of a Child of the Century, a British period piece, caught my eye as I love costume dramas and anything that Charlotte might be in. I had never heard of Peter Doherty, and began listening to his music which I love! In this film, he is a rich brat who falls for an older woman (Charlotte) and they have quite graphic love scenes and the film is chock full of suicidal ideations, drama, and obviously an intense storyline. You wouldn’t necessarily think she is an older woman in this film, though they did their best to create age with costume.
At some point I watched Nymphomaniac. I confess only seeing part one, which was quite tame and made me a little worried about part two. I read about it online and decided part one was enough for me. Even Charlotte explained in an interview how difficult it was to be in such an intimate situation, where she was the star and had to be put in quite compromising positions – in front of those filming. I couldn’t resist seeing part one also because her Swedish co-star Stellan Skarsgård who is another talent you can’t miss. Another not so handsome person who you find yourself attracted to nonetheless. Intelligence and wit are quite seductive. Nymphomaniac is another film that can only be managed and directed in Europe. Americans would have turned it into something fantastical and slutty without much depth. I can imagine it might have been made with Lindsay Lohan or Miley Cyrus. While it IS quite graphic, I believe it isn’t really about the sex so much as it is about the why’s and the journey toward the lifestyle. I was a social worker once, so it had to be graphic to really get a sense of her inner world. One example of America stealing a European film can be found by looking at La Femme Nikita vs. The Point of No Return. The former makes sense, the woman has a psychological past that you can relate to and respect as she grows into the woman she becomes. The latter is just another American movie.
As I write this I realize that while I have seen so many of her films, what stuck with me, at the time, was how good she was as an actress. How much I wanted to know more about this person who appears unassuming, humble, not interested in fame. The film itself didn’t hit me over the head that I will remember it forever, but her performance at that moment drew me toward other films with her name mentioned over and over. What will she do this time, I would think? How will she translate this story onscreen?
As a self-professed film aficionado, France almost always hits me with the most provocative storylines that push my buttons and make me fall in love with the persona – no matter how quirky or insane they may be. I love many European films, but I think if I had to add them up, France would be the country who’s films I have watched the most. While I have watched many films (and TV) with Audrey Fleurot, Catherine Deneuve, and Isabelle Huppert. These women are all given their due. Charlotte is a woman that I think should be given more attention to and more leading lady roles. She is someone I can’t wait to see what she will do next. And so, my next films to view are Women on Trial and Étoile (since I love the ballet). I would also like to watch The Jews and Everything Will be Fine. In fact, I think a Charlotte Gainsbourg retrospective is needed desperately this winter.
