Les Destinees Movie Review 2000

Lavish, sprawling, but emotionally flat costume drama follows forty years in the life of Jean Barnery. Jean, a Protestant minister, finds that his wife, Nathalie, has been unfaithful and sends her, along with their daughter Aline away. After he meets, and falls in love with the independent Pauline, his estranged wife, World War I, the call to return to his family's porcelain business, and the Wall Street crash impose themselves into Jean and Pauline's life. Film is technically and visually impressive, but a lack of any real spark (except when Huppert is onscreen) and the film's length combine to blunt its impact. Based on the novel by Jacques Chardonne.

Distribution

Wellspring Media, A Division of Genius Products, Inc., 2230 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90904, Phone: (310)453-1222, Fax: (310)453-0074, URL: http://www.wellspring.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 174 minutes.
Originally from French, Swiss.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Marriage, Divorce, Religion, Dads, France, Period Piece: 1900s, Period Piece: 1920s, World War I, Aunts & Uncles, Nieces & Nephews

Screenplay

Olivier Assayas, Jacques Fieschi

Cast

Charles Berling, Emmanuelle Beart, Isabelle Huppert, Olivier Perrier, Dominique Reymond, Andre Marcon, Alexandra London, Julie Depardieu

Cinematography

Eric Gautier

Director

Olivier Assayas

Music

Guillaume Lekeu

Other

Jean-Claude Laureaux, Luc Barnier, Anais Romand, Katia Wyszkop

Producer

Bruno Pesery, Arena Films, TF-1 Films, CAB Productions