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Germain (Gérard Depardieu) lives in the charming traditional French village where he was born. A semiliterate fifty-something whose home is a trailer on his mother's front lawn, he is the epitome of unfulfillment. Yet despite jibes from his friends and a poisonous relationship with his mother stunting his self-confidence, he's never been one to make a fuss about life's injustices. Indeed, he finds comfort in the little things, be it tending to his vegetable patch, carving
wood figurines, or feeding the pigeons in the local park.

It is in this latter routine that Germain meets Margueritte (Gisèle Casadesus), a sweet elderly lady with a kind heart and a passion for words. What begins as a chance encounter soon turns into a regular engagement, as Germain finds himself drawn to Margueritte's candid wit and zest for life and literature. Thriving on the wisdom and charity of his newfound friend and on the great French novels that she reads to him, Germain gains a fresh perspective and the strength to alter the course of his life.

Adapted from Marie-Sabine Roger's novel La tête en friche and serving up an authentic slice of provincial French life, MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE is a touching and enriching film that is refreshing in its focus on protagonists older than what we have become accustomed to seeing on the big screen. In this universal and unaffected tale, director Jean Becker's (CONVERSATIONS WITH
MY GARDENER) odd couple will capture audiences' hearts from the word allez.

Release date:

12 November

Certificate:

15

82 mins

France 2010

Director:

Jean Becker

Starring:

Gérard Depardieu, Gisèle Casadesus, Maurane, Patrick Bouchitey, Sophie Guillemin

Writer

Jean Becker, Jean-Loup Dabadie (screenplay) & Marie-Sabine Roger (book)

Company

Picturehouse Entertainment

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Gérard Depardieu

His lovable-rogue persona and stately frame may have endeared him to a global audience, but it is his versatility and staunch work ethic that have made Gérard Depardieu an invaluable export of French cinema. With an Oscar nomination, Golden Globe and myriad other festival awards to his name, his prolificacy has also given him a rare longevity. What attracted Depardieu to MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE? Aside from the opportunity to reunite with director Jean Becker, with whom he worked on 1995's ÉLISA, Depardieu was keen to help bring Marie-Sabine Roger's exquisite book to the big screen.

The story might not be familiar to audiences outside France, but there is something universally amiable about this particular central friendship. For Depardieu, this kind of draw has always been essential. As something of a CGI naysayer, he is a true bastion of tradition, of cinema as a platform for good old-fashioned storytelling - not special effects, cheap tricks or narrative gimmickry. From the dizzying heights of Hollywood to the restrained ceremony of French art-house, one thing that has ensured Depardieu such a healthy shelf-life is his live-for-the-moment attitude. From a childhood scarred by privation to becoming one of France's most cherished actors seemingly overnight, it is this trait that has kept Depardieu grounded and, above all, humble.

Whether playing a hunchbacked peasant in JEAN DE FLORETTE, a swashbuckling bard in CYRANO DE BERGERAC or a French immigrant in GREEN CARD, Depardieu has brought sincerity, warmth and a refreshing energy to cinema screens around the world. If his portrayal of tenderhearted lug Germain doesn't represent much of a departure for him, it is nevertheless a performance that is sure to be recalled as a
defining moment in the autumn of his career.

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