‘Lost Illusions’ stellar tale of love, ambition and innocence lost

“Lost Illusions”

Not Rated. In French with subtitles. At the Landmark Kendall Square.

Grade: A-

Winner of eight Cesar Awards and a Restoration-era “Wolf of Wall Street,” Xavier Giannoli’s “Lost Illusions” aka “Illusions perdues” is a classic bildungsroman about a young man from the province of Angouleme, who works as a printer and has pretensions of being a poet. He rejects his pharmacist father’s name and takes the more aristocratic appelative of his mother. Thus, 20-something Lucien Chardon becomes Lucien de Rubempre (Cesar winner Benjamin Voisin) and changes into more posh clothes to attend the country salon of his older mistress Louise de Bargeton (Cecile de France), where he is feted as the author of a small book of love poems. Found out by Louise’s much older husband, Lucien and Louise flee to Paris, where she has connections to the court, and Lucien’s older rival, the Baron du Chatelet (Andre Marcon), arranges a room and clothes for Lucien for the opera.

Lucien will be given a baptism of fire in both Parisian society, where he will meet the scheming Marquise d’Espard (Jeanne Balibar). Lucien will also be introduced by new friend Etienne Lousteau (Vincent Lacoste) to the world of Parisian journalism, a mix of gossip, fake news and, ahem, art reviews delivered not on basis of quality, but of whim, fashion and political affiliation.

Featuring narration that provides a historical and political context and scenes of Champagne and hashish-fueled parties with actresses from the wrong side of the literal theatrical street, “Lost Illusions” is a sensuous feast. Estranged from Louise because of his country roots, Lucien meets and falls in love with saucy and talented ingenue Coralie (Salome Dewaels). The young actress also has a much older, wealthy man taking care of her and providing her with a home and servants. One of the most memorable secondary characters in the story is Singali (Jean-Francois Stevenin), a swindler whose specialty is gathering small crowds of shills to attend plays and either cheer or boo and hiss, depending on what Singali’s employer wants and making the play an instant hit or a crushing flop.

Lucien will experience a dazzling evolution. He will make an impression upon an old, corrupt publisher named Dauriat (Gerard Depardieu), who pays generously for reviews (Where do I sign up?). The narration tells us about the political period, the theaters, the German rotary printer, Parisian prostitutes and the several leading journals of the era, the tabloids of their times. It is fascinating food for Francophiles and other admirers of French history and literature. In the role of the young protagonist, Voisin (“Summer of ’85”) is tall, slim and mop-headed. His handsome Lucien has charm, passion and is a quick learner. He enjoys great success as a critic. But drawn back into Louise’s royalist circle, he finds himself used as a pawn by people with much greater wealth, power, connections and more artful subterfuge. “Lost Illusions” is a classic tale of innocence and love corrupted by harsh realities. The times are so hard that police place dragnets in the Seine to catch the bodies of suicides. Money is the “new royalty.” Lucien could have succeeded, but he gambles his earnings away. The artful metaphor of the ink and paper that both create Lucien de Rubempre and undo him can be applied to the reality TV and internet stars of today. The score features Rameau, Mozart, Schubert and others. The story of Lucien is part of Balzac’s groundbreaking, multi-novel series “La Comedie humain.” Giannoli turns this comedy into a genuine spectacle.

(“Lost Illusions” contains profanity, sexually suggestive scenes, nudity and drug use)

 

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/WtKUrpx