The Town Is Quiet ( La ville est tranquille )

The Town Is Quiet (DVD) (*)

Out of Stock

Original Title: La ville est tranquille
Screened, competed or awarded at:
European Film Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
French ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
127 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen

Special Features:
Filmographies
Interactive Menu
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2000 and produced in:
France ( France, Benelux )

Directed By:
Robert Guédiguian

Written By:
Jean-Louis Milesi
Robert Guédiguian

Actors:
Ariane Ascaride ..... Michèle
Jean-Pierre Darroussin ..... Paul
Gérard Meylan ..... Gérard
Jacques Boudet ..... Paul's Father
Christine Brücher ..... Viviane Froment
Jacques Pieiller ..... Yves Froment
Pascale Roberts ..... Paul's Mother
Julie-Marie Parmentier ..... Fiona
Pierre Banderet ..... Claude
Alexandre Ogou ..... Abderramane
Véronique Balme ..... Ameline
Frédérique Bonnal ..... Mrs. Préférence Nationale
Jacques Germain ..... Mister National Preference
Alain Lenglet ..... Piano mover
Amar Toulé ..... Momo, Abderramane's brother

Synopsis:

With THE TOWN IS QUIET, French writer-director Robert Guediguian (MARIUS AND JEANNETTE) brings the bustling, culturally diverse landscape of modern Marseilles to startling life. Opening with an extended pan of the Mediterranean city, Guediguian ingeniously prepares the viewer for the sprawling tale that is about to unfold. Gradually, a revolving cast of characters is introduced, including: Michele (Ariane Ascaride), a struggling fish monger who cares for her heroin-addicted daughter, Fiona (Julie-Marie Parmentier); Paul (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), a former dock worker who has turned to driving a taxi; Abderramane (Alexandre Ogou) and Viviane (Christine Brucher), two apparent opposites who form an unlikely relationship; and Gerard (Gerard Meylan), a quiet bar owner with a mysterious connection to Michele. By the time the film builds to its somber, tragic conclusion, each individual is forced to confront his or her current situation, sparking a series of epiphanies that no one will ever forget.Guediguian's film is the work of a truly gifted storyteller. Juggling at least four major plotlines, he brings his characters together naturally, without ever forcing it. Ascaride, Darroussin, and Meylan are standouts in the superb cast, actors who don't need to speak to convey the hidden sadness that lies just beneath the surface.This film was screened as part of the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2001 festival organized by The Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York City.

Racism, violence, and drug abuse run rampant in this ensemble drama set in the southern French city of Marseilles. Michele (Ariane Ascaride) spends her days working in a fish factory, where she earns a living to support her unemployed husband and her teenage daughter Fiona (Christine Brucher). In addition to being the mother of a three-month-old, Fiona is also a heroin addict and a prostitute. Thanks to her habit, Fiona is increasingly unable to work, and Michele helps her daughter by exchanging sexual favors for money with Paul (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), an ex-dock worker with more than a few problems of his own. Michele gets drugs for Fiona from Gerard (Gerard Meylan), the sullen proprietor of a small bar who engages in such shady pastimes as political assassination. Meanwhile, Abderramane (Alexandre Ogou), a young African man recently out of prison, finds himself attracted to Vivienne (Julie-Marie Parmentier), a social worker married to a womanizing high-society snob whom she detests. Her spite towards her husband leads Vivienne to claim that she respects poor people who vote for the Far Right more than moneyed individuals who talk a lot about helping the poor but do almost nothing. Vivienne's frustration, coupled with that of the other characters, illustrates the overriding tension that threatens to build to society's collapse.

The sprawling mosaic of life in contemporary Marseille suggests a French answer to Robert Altman's "Nashville." The interwoven stories, which cut across class and race boundaries, revolve around Michele (Ariane Ascaride), an intrepidly brave Mother Courage-like fishmonger who sells her own body to support a heroin-addicted daughter and grandchild. Deeply caring for its mostly working-class characters, this messy but unforgettable epic is a sustained cry from the heart that builds its interwoven dramas to shattering conclusions.

This product was added to our catalog on Saturday 23 October, 2010.

Customers who bought this product also purchased

Marie Jo & Her Two Loves (DVD)	A Bill of Divorcement (DVD)	Stopped on Track (2011) (Blu-Ray)
Moolaadé (DVD)	Jack Says (DVD)	Exposed (DVD)