IMDb RATING
7.7/10
6.9K
YOUR RATING
The chauvinist Alexandre balances relationships with several women in the post-1968 intellectual scene of Paris.The chauvinist Alexandre balances relationships with several women in the post-1968 intellectual scene of Paris.The chauvinist Alexandre balances relationships with several women in the post-1968 intellectual scene of Paris.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 1 nomination
Jean-Claude Biette
- Un homme aux Deux Magots
- (uncredited)
Jean Douchet
- Un homme au Café de Flore
- (uncredited)
Bernard Eisenschitz
- Maurice
- (uncredited)
Jean Eustache
- Le mari de Gilberte
- (uncredited)
- …
Noël Simsolo
- Un homme au Café de Flore
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis film is based on the real-life relationship between director Jean Eustache and actress Francoise Lebrun (who plays Veronika). The character based on her is named Gilberte in the movie and is played by Isabelle Weingarten.
- GoofsAlexandre can be seen drinking a bottle of 1970 Gevrey-Chambertin, which would have been far too expensive for him to have purchased. This error is illuminated by his notable lack of money during the cafe scene, in which his date pays for his bill.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: European New Wave (2011)
- SoundtracksIch weiß, es wird einmal ein Wunder gescheh'n
Written by Bruno Balz, Michael Jary and Ralph Benatzky
Performed by Zarah Leander
Featured review
The beginning of a new French film
I put off reviewing it for quite a while; I just couldn't come to terms with its rejection of the New Wave. Eustache has given us the talkiest movie ever, if you except those marathon Rivette films from the same period (I survived a showing of Out One: Spectre).
The camera doesn't move: it is parked in front of the actors in cafes and restaurants. The close camera placement forces us to concentrate on the conversations, which are monologues by Alexandre interspersed with explosions from Veronika. The romantic word-spinning from Alexandre is of this ilk: "The day I stop suffering, I'll have become someone else," or "In May 1968 a whole cafe was crying. It was beautiful. A tear gas bomb had exploded... a crack in reality had opened up," or most poetically, "I don't do anything, I let time do it." The retorts from Veronika are sometimes astonishing in their savagery: "Watch out, you'll push in my Tampax."; "I've screwed the maximum of Jews and Arabs."; (serving tea)"I like the feel of a prick against my ass, even if it's soft. One sugar or two?" It's as if a Proust character somehow left his drawing room to go slumming with a woman out of L-F Celine's Death on the Installment Plan.
This film ought to be seen by anyone interested in French film of that period--the 70's--but be aware of the static, slow-moving nature of the work.
The camera doesn't move: it is parked in front of the actors in cafes and restaurants. The close camera placement forces us to concentrate on the conversations, which are monologues by Alexandre interspersed with explosions from Veronika. The romantic word-spinning from Alexandre is of this ilk: "The day I stop suffering, I'll have become someone else," or "In May 1968 a whole cafe was crying. It was beautiful. A tear gas bomb had exploded... a crack in reality had opened up," or most poetically, "I don't do anything, I let time do it." The retorts from Veronika are sometimes astonishing in their savagery: "Watch out, you'll push in my Tampax."; "I've screwed the maximum of Jews and Arabs."; (serving tea)"I like the feel of a prick against my ass, even if it's soft. One sugar or two?" It's as if a Proust character somehow left his drawing room to go slumming with a woman out of L-F Celine's Death on the Installment Plan.
This film ought to be seen by anyone interested in French film of that period--the 70's--but be aware of the static, slow-moving nature of the work.
- taylor9885
- Feb 10, 2002
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Die Mama und die Hure
- Filming locations
- Café Les Deux Magots - 6 place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris 6, Paris, France(Alexandre's usual café)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $40,555
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,135
- Jun 25, 2023
- Gross worldwide
- $47,344
- Runtime3 hours 30 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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