LOVE SONGS aka CHANSONS D'AMOUR
Year: 2007
USA: IFC Films
UK: Artificial Eye
Cast: Louis Garrel, Ludivine Sagnier, Chiara Mastroianni, Clotilde Hesme, Gregoire Leprince-Ringuet, Mother Brigitte Rouan, Jasmine Alice Butaud, Jean-Marie Winling, Gwendal Yannick Renier, Annabelle Hettmann, Esteban Carvajal Alegria, Sylvain Tempier, Guillaume Clerice
Director: Christophe Honore
Country: France
Language: French (English subtitles)
USA: 100 mins
UK: 96 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains one use of strong language and moderate sex references
USA Release Date: 28 March 2008 (Limited Release)
UK: Release Date: 14 December 2007 (Limited Release)
UK Distributor
Synopsis
Ismaël (Louis Garrel) is in a serious relationship with Julie (Ludivine Sagnier). They have begun a menage a trois with Ismaël's co-worker Alice (Clotilde Hesme), though Julie confides to her sister Jeanne (Chiara Mastroianni) that it's not quite what she wants. Ismaël is unaware of Julie's hesitation, he sometimes feels marginalised and sometimes jealous of the relationship between Julie and Alice.
Christophe Honore's new film, LES CHANSONS D'AMOUR is an exploration of love, loss and new beginnings. Honore has up again teamed up again with Louis Garrel, their third collaboration and it seems Louis Garrel has become Honore's on screen alter ego. Like DANS PARIS Honore has refined his New Wave influences, this time from the later period of the movement, Truffaut's DOMICILE CONJUGAL (BED AND BOARD) and Jean Eustache's LA MAMAN ET LA PUTAIN. LES CHANSONS D'AMOUR is a musical, which at first seems a homage to Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg but the musical numbers act as a narrative device to explore the psychology of each character at the time.