“It’s Marcello and it’s not Marcello”
“ Everything good in life is a legacy » says the actor Fabrice Luchini to Chiara Mastroianni when he discovers her disguised as Father Marcello, presumably quoting Nietzsche. Why so-called, fiction, trompe l’oeil, clever imposture and dizzying mask je(u) pose with delicacy and elegance in Marcello MioChristophe Honoré’s latest feature film, highly original, in the official competition selection of the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
The director then follows Chiara alongside her loved ones and her professional encounters. Between a mirror shot imitating Anita Ekberg The good life and a casting complicated by the advice of her mother Catherine Deneuve, Chiara can’t take it anymore and rebels. Daughter of two sacred monsters of cinema, constantly reminded of their talent, Chiara feels lost and has doubts.
Who is he really? What does director Nicole Garcia expect from you, who understands that “it’s not easy”? Paternal sweetness or maternal energy? Is she desired as an actress or just because she is her “daughter”? Why Marcello Miowritten by the only director very inspired by Chiara’s existence, questions with finesse, humility and depth this heritage that is as heavy to bear as it is extraordinary.
An exceptional father and an unparalleled actress
Tiredness, disappointment, pain and the lack of a father have a catalytic effect. It is the face of her father that she one day sees appear as herself in the mirror. Is it a dream, a hallucination, a memory, a sign, a Russian doll-style shot? From that moment on he allows himself to be confused with the ghost/fantasy of his father. He wears hair and dresses like Marcello, speaks Italian like Marcello, smokes and moves like Marcello.
The girl’s resemblance to her father is striking and Marcello Mio it shows everyone’s reactions, offering a nice range of emotions. Bluffed, disturbed, moved or shocked, they particularly like it Chiara and Marcello with sincere love and very touching. Without being a musical, the characters also tell their stories in songs, accompanied by an emotional soundtrack by Alex Beaupain.
Catherine Deneuve kindly welcomes her daughter’s imagination. He understands the necessity of this journey through memories, even if some reanimations prove painful. The director has fun with former lovers Melvil Poupaud and Benjamin Biolay, with opposing postures linked to their roots. The former met her when she was just out of adolescence and the latter married her and had a daughter with her.
Fabrice Luchini, for his part, is an unlikely ally, he who admired the actor greatly and would have wanted him as a friend. As for Chiara’s meeting with Colin (Hugh Skinner), a stranger who knows nothing about her, it turns out to be much less interesting than the director’s intentions. Without a doubt because it’s already enough jubilant to evolve in the lives of Chiara’s loved ones.
A perfect illusion
Marcello Mio he goes a long way in making his point. In fact, how long can Chiaretta remain drowned in the life of her father? What are her limits in order not to distort herself and identify that the happiness of being Marcello can also bring sadness? Will she be able to regain enough self-confidence and consider taking her place again?
Christophe Honoré is certainly not the first to tell the story behind the scenes of cinema and mix fact and fiction about the actors. Spike Jonze (As John Malkovich), Michel Blanc (Tiredness), Bertrand Blier (Players) or more recently Quentin Dupieux (The second actwhich opens the Cannes Film Festival).
But Marcello Mio it has more authenticity, more joy, more heart. Because the film is above all a beautiful homage to Marcello Mastroianni. Initiatory story proving that it is never too late to learn from and about yourself, Marcello Mio it is then revealed a little jewel of cinema. A warm film about broadcasting, which goes beyond oneself.
Marcello Mio by Christophe Honoré, in theaters from May 22, 2024. The film is in Official Competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Above is the trailer. Find all our trailers here.
Source: Cine Serie
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