Tuesday, March 13, 6:00pm, UNC Charlotte main campus, Student Union Theater, studentunion.uncc.edu
Xavier Giannoli, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, 2016 / 129 min.
French with English subtitles
Presented as part of The Tournées Festival, made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S., the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC), the French American Cultural Fund, Florence Gould Foundation and Highbrow Entertainment.
Additional sponsors are the Alliance Française de Charlotte and the UNC Charlotte French Club.
Introduction by Mary LaMarca, Lecturer of French, UNC Charlotte. Discussion will follow screening.
Marguerite Dumont is an incredibly wealthy woman who has devoted her
life to singing opera. There’s only one problem and it’s a problem no one will
dare to mention to her, starting with her husband: she cannot sing in tune to
save her life. From this brilliant premise based on the true story of Florence
Foster Jenkins, the American socialite and calamitous singer who inspired
the recent Meryl Streep film (and a character in Citizen Kane), writer-director
Xavier Gianolli draws a marvelously rich tale, mining the comic possibilities as
well as the genuine tragedy of a woman living in a world of illusion sustained
by sycophants. Gianolli also creates a striking portrait of Paris in the twenties,
taking in the aristocratic milieu as well as the ferment of subversive art
movements and the Bohemian demimonde. Marguerite is a tour de force of
controlled chaos, brimming with eccentric characters and opulent set pieces,
all orbiting around the irresistible figure of Marguerite, a woman whose
dedication is an inspiration—until it turns to madness and cautionary tale.
For her unforgettable performance in Marguerite, Catherine Fort was awarded
the 2015 César (French Oscar) for best actress in a leading role.
