Each plan of The Princess of Montpensier exudes enthusiasm

Bertrand Tavernier, who saw other, still has stars in voice and chills in the eyes when he talks about his "Princess": "when we entered in production to the mix, there is not a day that has been an absolute joy." Each plan of "The Princess of Montpensier" exudes enthusiasm. For our greatest pleasure.

Three French films were shown at Cannes, and each of these films deserved a prize. If "Men and the gods" by Xavier Beauvois and "Tour" of Mathieu Amalric were rewarded, Bertrand and his Princess returned empty-handed from the Croisette. Unfair. Because what film more than it deserved the award stage, scenario (the opportunity to pay tribute to the immense talent of Jean Cosmos) or the jury Or even a grand special prize for the whole of a work, of "That the day begins" to "in the electric mist", of "Coup de torchon" to "Captain Conan", "A Sunday in the country" to "L.627", has given the most beautiful pages of the book of French cinema.

Sixty-nine-year-old Bertrand Tavernier picked up an old lady sparkling, Madame de La Fayette (known especially "the Princess of Cleves", little in court to the Elysée Palace), to invigorate Jacuzzi blood of a gang of players ready to generate the sword to the first pretext. The delicious Marie de Mézières (Mélanie Thierry), wealthy heiress of the Kingdom, in Clip for the boiling Duke of Guise, soon named "Scarface" (Gaspard Ulliel), which is not insensitive. But his father, after him have "tormented" - which, according to historians, means that it it would be "tortured"-, forced to marry the prince of Montpensier (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet), more bland but a solid social elevator passport holder. Valid for the whole family. Steep crazy beauty, the prince will prove, the time came, quite jealous and capable of violence spreads.

Anxious to move away from his wife of disorders caused by the wars of religion, Montpensier sends it in the most distant of its castles, the austere Champigny. We are in 1562 during the reign of Charles IX, son of Catherine de Médicis, barely ten years before Saint-Barthélemy. The young prince entrusts its soft comte de Chabannes (Lambert Wilson), perfect humanist in the lineage of Rabelais and Agrippa of Aubigné, precursor of Montaigne, philosopher and mathematician, handsome man in addition. Opponent of intolerance that has ravaged the heart of men, and the Kingdom, this former Warrior decided put away its weapons. To teach beautiful whether the Princess of Montpensier whose education stopped at the time when it is expelling the convent, Chabannes will remain not long insensitive to its charms. The Duke of Anjou, future Henri III (Raphaël Personnaz), thought more attracted to boys, passing as by chance at the foot of the château de Champigny in the company of his faithful cheerful (Anatole de Bodinat), contribute to the ambient confusion of feelings.

Bertrand Tavernier ride in this beautiful world with an ease that forces the admiration, focusing here on a dish of eels, here on a ballet of Chamber pots. Mélanie Thierry rayon in these quarrelsome cockerels that are pretty hearts. Lambert Wilson as comfortable here as the chasuble of brother Christian, brings all tension and serenity. The battle scenes are power reminiscent though ambushes of Captain Conan. The music of Philippe Sarde packaged the equipped to the rhythm of the beating of the heart and the outbreaks of adrenaline. Respect.