Too Beautiful for You (1989)

Bertrand Blier's story of love at first sight between a successful auto salesman and his older, unglamorous secretary does more than simply dispel the skin-deep myth of physical beauty. Gérard Depardieu describes his new lover as "not beautiful, but nice", but his aristocratic young wife dismisses her for being 'common', setting up a conflict not between age and beauty but between opposing social classes, with a proletarian lug who married into the upper crust becoming justifiably mushy over someone less pretentious than his wife. It sounds like fun, but anyone expecting a lightweight romantic farce will be disappointed to find something closer to an intellectual exercise in style, designed around an exaggerated sense of melodrama and several odd, operatic gestures: characters thinking out loud in public or engaging in third-person soliloquies, and so forth. Not to mention, in an obscure ongoing joke, a few outspoken criticisms of the music of Franz Schubert.

I have just finished watching this film, and it is probably too soon to write a review. However, the music is swirling through my head, and the beautiful photography and scenes are fresh in my mind. The glossy elegant wife and the warm but ordinary woman who is the temp at the husband's car retail outlet are both extraordinary women. The wife for her killer intelligence and frankness (now that's a wedding speech that is unusual)and the outrageously warm,sexy woman who falls for and, I suppose, seduces her husband. Yes, it does jump about a bit, and one is never sure with the conversations if that is normal behaviour (in which case, they all have issues). Gerard Depardieu could melt the paint off the walls with his eyes, and his acting has depth indeed. A thought-provoking film, and an absorbing one. Recommended if you like more than a chick flick.

I do like surreal films and being a fan of Bertrand Blier found this movie very delightful. Extremely hilarious and well acted, this movie had me hooked right from the beginning. The movie basically handles the breaking down of a marriage due to an affair, and the emotions of the man and the other woman in particular.The scenes at Depardieu's home with his family and the Schubert music in the background were very amusing. The three main actors were excellent. Carole Bouquet asking "Are there any more questions?" while having dinner with friends was just side-splitting. Josiane Balasko acts her part as the lovesick woman well. Depardieu as usual is an excellent mixture of his vulnerable and tough guy self.The cinematography was first class and the music score resplendent. Wouldn't hesitate in recommending this film to any lover of international cinema and surrealistic films.

This film is making a point about how beauty can be a handicap. Look at Florence, the gorgeous young wife of Bernard, a successful business man in Marseille. Any man could kill for the privilege of being next to such a ravishing creature, yet, Bernard lusts after his plain looking temp secretary, Colette.Bertrand Blier, a controversial director himself, wants to explore on the idea that sometimes this beauty is too much for a ordinary looking man, with down to earth tastes. Even the exquisite music by Schubert, his own son plays at home, is a cause for irritation for Bernard. When Colette decides to go after him, he feels right at home with this asserting woman who brings a lust in him that is obviously lacking from his own bed at home with Florence. Florence, on the other hand, is a woman that must intimidate Bernard because her beauty is unreachable.The film is done in a way that most of the dialog consists in the inner thoughts of the particular character that is thinking at the time. These thoughts can be disorienting since Mr. Blier employs a non linear style to present his tale. Thus, the film loses a bit of its immediacy for the viewer that might not be paying attention to what is being said at any particular moment.By juxtaposing an actor that is the antithesis of handsomeness, Gerard Depardieu, against the exquisitely gorgeous Carole Bouquet, Mr. Blier achieves a coup, because we are trained to believe that only beauty can bring happiness. The plain Colette, being played by Josiane Balasko, is a strong presence in the movie. She achieves all what she set out to do in making Bernard a slave because she understands him intellectually as well as sexually.The film evidently came and went without much fanfare. Paying a visit to this beautifully photographed film by the great Philippe Rosselot, will delight fans of Bertrand Blier. It also helps that the director has included some sublime music by Franz Schubert in the background.