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Released by: Severin Films
Released on: 4/28/2009
Director: Patrice Leconte
Cast: Jean-Pierre Marielle, Hippolyte Girardot, Sandra Majani, Richard Bohringer
Year: 1994
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The Movie:
The second Patrice Laconte film to be released by the fine folks over at Severin Films, The Perfume Of Yvonne, like The Hairdresser's Husband, is a well made and mature work of sexually charged dramatic tension.
The film, set in the hot summer of 1958, follows a young man named Victor (Hippolyte Girardot) who, through a series of flashbacks, tells us about how he met and fell in love with a beautiful actress named Yvonne (Sandra Majani). They meet at a hotel when Yvonne's dog walks up to Victor and nonchalantly falls asleep at his feet. They hit it off and before you know it, casual flirtation soon gives way to some pretty serious bumping and grinding. Victor fast becomes obsessed with the new woman in his life, following her around to her various acting gigs and soon enough the pair move in together, much to the delight of Yvonne's friend and confidant, Dr. Rene Meinthe (Jean-Pierre Marielle).
Things are going great for the young couple initially but soon we learn about Yvonne's other side, a part of her personality that isn't quite as charming, footloose and fancy free as the part that Victor knows and so obviously loves.
Carried by a performance that looks natural and easy throughout by the stunningly beautiful Sandra Majani, The Perfume Of Yvonne is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever realized that they may have just fallen head over heels with the wrong person. Reflective, contemplative and in many ways rather nostalgic, Victor's story is one that's easy to relate to and one that's even easier to sympathize with. You really can't blame him for falling for the charming and attractive young woman that fate seemingly throws at him, and you can't help but hope he'll get what he wants in the end even if you know from very early on that it isn't what's best for him.
Beautifully shot and making excellent use of the exotic European locations where the film was made, this is a very pretty looking film and one that frames its lead actress in such a way as to effectively make her the object of not only Victor's desire but the audience's as well. Using a beautiful color scheme and plenty of 'soft' touches the film has a palpable feel to it that simply oozes atmosphere and even romance without feeling corny, sugar coated or contrived. The movie might be a bit slow for some tastes or a little too soap operatic for others but despite an overabundance of melodrama, it's a well made picture that tells an interesting story and as such is definitely worth checking out, particularly for those who like a little art house fare now and again.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The film looks excellent in this 2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that presents the film in its original aspect ratio. There's a bit of grain here and there but aside from that this is a very clean and colorful presentation that shows plenty of detail in the foreground and the background of the image. No problems with mpeg compression artifacts and color reproduction and skin tones look dead on. Some scenes are on the soft side but this is obviously how the film was shot, not an issue with the authoring or the transfer.
The French language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound mix, which includes optional English subtitles, is fine, if unremarkable. Dialogue is a tiny bit flat in a couple of spots but aside from that things are decent enough and there's some nice bounce to Michael Nyman's score. Dialogue is clean and clear and there are no problems with hiss or distortion and generally the audio is free of problems.
The are pretty much relegated to an interesting interview with Patrice Leconte, entitled Leconte On Lecone Part 2 a seventeen minute follow up to the first part which appeared on Severin's DVD release of The Hairdresser's Husband. Here, Leconte talks about putting this project together, and about some of the other films that he made around this point in his career, including Tango and Ridicule. It's an interesting look at the man's career in his own words and worth sitting through. It doesn't really do more than just touch on some of his more recent films, however, leaving that part of his career open for further exploration. Animated menus and chapter selection are also included.
The Final Word:
Severin presents a strangely compelling and semi-erotic drama in fine form with a nice bonus interview. Good stuff!