THE OLD LADY WHO WALKED IN THE SEA
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.0
France, 1991 U.S. Availability: 1995 (limited) Running Length: 1:35 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Profanity, sex, nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Jeanne Moreau, Michel Serrault, Luc Thuillier, Geraldine Danon Director: Laurent Heynemann Screenplay: Dominique Roulet from the novel by San Antonio Cinematography: Robert Alazraki Music: Philippe Sarde U.S. Distributor: CFP Distribution Inc. In French with subtitles
Now in her sixties, Jeanne Moreau is no longer the sultry, beautiful woman who attained international notice through Louis Malle's 1959 LES AMANTS, but she can still act circles around performers half her age. As Lady M, the title character and centerpiece of Laurent Heynemann's THE OLD LADY WHO WALKED IN THE SEA, Moreau is a force to be reckoned with. Her presence provides a solid point of focus whenever the plot becomes murky or convoluted.
Lady M and her companion, an ex-lover named Pompilius (Michel Serrault), are spending a "working vacation" in Guadeloupe. Consummate con artists, the two are always in the process of pulling off some high risk, high reward scheme involving blackmail, deception, or theft. While Lady M is taking her morning walk in the sea (for her arthritis), she becomes acquainted with a young stud, Lambert (Luc Thuillier), who gets her attention by stealing her ring. She is impressed with Lambert's technique (among other things), and decides to take him on as her protege. Under her guidance and the reluctant tutelage of Pompilius (who views him as a rival), Lambert becomes a key participant in a scam to steal a maharaja's diamond-and-emerald-encrusted diadem.
Admittedly, the story isn't all that original, but the character interaction is masterful. The barbed verbal sparring between Lady M and Pompilius is a delight, as both of these veteran vocabulary duelists dig deep to come up with new appellations for each other. Some of the best include "My puss-filled raven", "My dime-store diplomat", "My tender buttered trollop", "My rotting old ramrod", and "My toothless comb." And those are only the ones suitable for print. The multi-layered dynamic between these two good friends is the glue that holds THE OLD LADY together.
There are elements of the film that don't work. Chief of these is a largely-superfluous romance between Lambert and a young woman (Geraldine Danon). Neither of the actors is all that impressive, and when Moreau isn't sharing the screen with them, things start to drag. THE OLD LADY also suffers from a bookend problem--that is to say, it opens and closes weakly. The middle section is by far the strongest, with Moreau in full bloom, Serrault in full bluster, and the banter zipping back and forth between them.
Beneath all the stinging dialogue, THE OLD LADY uses its trio of grifters to examine various questions about love, sex, passion, and friendship. The deepest, most lasting relationships that develop throughout the course of the movie don't involve sex. The film is more about intimacy than physicality, and how the two don't necessarily go together. Lady M claims to have had 2017 lovers, but her passion for crime has outlived her passion for men... or has it?
Released in France in 1991, this movie has taken four years to reach the United States, primarily because it never acquired a major distributor. (Currently, there are only a handful of available prints.) As far as imported fare goes, there's nothing astounding about THE OLD LADY, but it is a chance to view another fine performance by France's "Grande Dame" of film.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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