Michel
Piccoli, Marcello Mastroianni, Henri Garcin, Julie Gayet, Harry
Dean Stanton, Assumpta Serna, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon, Fanny
Ardant
This homage to the cinema
by venerated movie-maker Agnes Varda, often dubbed the "grandmother"
of the French New Wave, features an all-star international cast.
The story is based upon the memories and insights of the 100-year
old Mr. Simon Cinema. He lives in a magnificent house filled with
movie memorabilia. To help him remember the important details of
his career he hires Camille, a film student to write down his remembrances
and experiences which have involved all areas of movie-making. Camille
comes once a day for 101 days. Film clips, photographs and actual
visitors highlight his stories. As he continues to spin his yarns,
the imagery in the film smoothly morph into other images. Camille,
when not recording, is involved in other exploits including a romance
with a production assistant, Mica who aspires to becoming a director.
She also begins plotting a way to get to Mr. Cinema's fortune by
having a friend pose as his long lost heir. Many other characters
are peripherally involved including Death, an Italian seeking the
rights to his film catalogue, and a memory specialist. |