Review of Le Parfum D`Yvonne

Introduction

`Le Parfum d`Yvonne` started out life as a book, and this French film adaptation could well be Director Patrice Leconte`s finest hour to date. It`s an achingly bittersweet experience, filled with a nostalgia and longing.

The film is played entirely in flashback, to 1958 when the now aged Victor Chmara was just a young man. It`s the story of an all-consuming young love eventually lost and this is established from the outset so that every scene has an added poignancy as we know that it`s a love that will not last.

The young Victor Chmara (Hippolyte Girardot) is a young dilettante passing out the summer months in Geneva, in a quiet hotel, when his life is turned upside down through a chance meeting (via her friendly dog) with a breath-takingly beautiful actress, Yvonne (played by Dutch model Sandra Majani). It`s clear in this first encounter that both Chmara and Yvonne are strongly attracted to one another and, following a brief walk together, it`s not long before they are inseparable.

In common with other Leconte movies, there`s a dark undercurrent constantly residing in the shadows, threatening this perfect love. Y`vonne is close to an aged but flamboyant `queen` (the mysterious Dr. Meinthe, superbly played by Jean-Pierre Marielle) who seems to accompany her wherever she goes. There are plenty of unexplained and deeply suspicious moments that seem to suggest that Dr. Meinthe`s wealth comes from drug dealing though this is never made explicit. It`s just a suspicion that both we, the audience, and Chmara share.

Chmara impresses Yvonne by claiming to be a Russian Count, though it`s more likely that he has fled Paris to avoid military service in Algeria.

The film is beautifully paced as their passion grows, and the cinematography, which captures the lazy summer afternoons perfectly, as well as the yellowy summer twilight.

Whilst the film has some extremely sensual moments, this is not primarily an erotic feature - rather an exploration of the all-pervasive and intoxicating power of young love.

Of course, the happiness isn`t set to last for any of the principals, particularly Dr. Meinthe who has lived life to the full but now dreads the long winter of his twilight years.

Victor, Yvonne and Dr. Mienthe create a little sub-world of their own where they are critical of the bourgeoisie pre-occupations of other guests in the resorts, yet their own world is falling apart before it`s really begun.

Video

Presented in 2:35:1 Widescreen Anamorphic, this is a first-class print that makes a beautiful movie look as good as it`s going to in the comfort of your own living room.

Audio

This is a gentle movie that has the constant chirp of birdsong and insect noises throughout. The score (Pascal Esteve) is barely noticeable, yet adds a delicate flavour to what is a sublimely powerful movie. The Digital Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is adequate enough.

Features

None

Conclusion

This is a beautiful adaptation of a book of the same name that is concerned with the transience of all things, as well as being a bitter-sweet revisit to times past and loves lost. There`s no doubt that this is powerful and moving narrative. But it`s also a really beautiful movie where the combination of Y`vonne`s tremendous and heart-breaking beauty creates a melancholic longing that is difficult to describe.

Dr. Meinthe`s character represents both all that is best and worst about the world, and the final scenes are really very depressing, offering no answers to the many questions this film raises about life and its meaning.

The cinematography (Eduardo Serra) is just amazing, and, arguably, this could be Leconte`s finest hour. In a recent interview, Leconte said "If I weren`t a director, I would like to have been an Impressionist painter. I don`t know the reasons why - I`ve always liked colours, and light, and painting". And it really shows. Absolutely breathtaking!