La Séparation
| La Separation | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Christian Vincent |
| Produced by | Claude Berri |
| Written by |
Dan Franck Christian Vincent |
| Starring |
Isabelle Huppert Daniel Auteuil |
| Cinematography |
Denis Lenoir Anne Nicolet Virginie Saint-Martin |
| Edited by |
François Ceppi Véronique Ilié Laurence Vanier |
| Distributed by | AMLF |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Budget | $5.6 million |
| Box office | $3.7 million[1] |
La Séparation is a 1994 French romantic drama film directed by Christian Vincent and based on the novel La Séparation by Dan Franck.
Plot
Parisian parents Pierre and Anne go to see a film; it bothers Pierre that Anne rejected his overtures during the movie. Not long afterwards Anne tells Pierre that she 'thinks she fell in love with someone'. Pierre registers the news without reaction. Indeed, both seem determined to remain composed and deal with Pierre's hurt pride and Anne's new interest rationally.
Pierre discusses the situation with mutual friends Victor and Claire. Their reassurances are little comfort. Anne's new relationship begins to strain at Pierre. There is also the added complication of their 18-month-old son Loulou. Despite the regular presence of a nanny, Laurence, each find reason to claim the other is neglecting him. Paranoia and recrimination begin to escalate. Fights break out, most bitterly after Pierre discovers that Anne has taken Loulou to her mother's.
Pierre surprises Anne at work and asks to talk. He is more composed and tells her that he has decided he must leave. Anne reciprocates with the news that her affair has ended. Digesting this news with the same outward calm as at the beginning of the film Pierre walks Anne back to their flat. He feels unable to go in. Instead he wanders the streets, lost and unable to hail a stream of passing taxis.
Cast
- Isabelle Huppert as Anne
- Daniel Auteuil as Pierre
- Jérôme Deschamps as Victor
- Karin Viard as Claire
- Laurence Lerel as Laurence
- Louis Vincent as Loulou
- Nina Morato as Marie
Critical reception
The film received two César Award nominations for Best Actor (Daniel Auteuil) and Best Actress (Isabelle Huppert) in 1995 (the year of its UK release). The film took four years to find a distributor in the United States but following its release in 1998 it was nominated for a 1999 Golden Satellite Award as Best Foreign Language Film.