The
 Vincent
PEREZ
Archives

FRANCE
1988
95 Minutes

Synopsis:

(aka House of Jade) Jane Lambert (Bisset) is a middle-aged novelist whose marriage has ended in part because of her inability to bear children. She falls for Bernard (Perez), the self-centered businessman who is not yet 30. Jane ignores her career and follows her heart as she and Bernard begin a passionate love affair. Several months into the romance, Bernard begins to withdraw his affections for Jane and reveals he is seeing another woman. Jane tries to kill herself when Bernard tells her of his desire to have children. She eventually recovers and buries herself in her work as she begins a heartbreaking, romantic novel based on her ill-fated love affair.

Time out London Review:
Older woman falls for younger man and (we could have warned her) ends up alone, swigging from the Martell bottle as she sobs through their old camcorder footage. An adaptation by Nadine Trintignant and Madeleine Chapsal of the latter's allegedly autobiographical bestseller, this is all relentlessly subjective. In the early snog 'n' bonk stages, young Perez is presented as the epitome of charm and desirability, though many will yearn to see a custard pie collide with that would-be brooding pan. But after splitting, he is portrayed as a contemptible little coward, and again audience sympathies may reverse, with the reflection that no such all-round wonderful person as Bisset ever walked the earth.

Anonymous reviewer:
What a wonderful movie! Unfortunately for the american viewing public, it does not come with subtitles. Even without subtitles, the emotion of this movie, expressed thru the acting craft of Jacqueline Bissett and Vincent Perez, is wonderful. The story told by the film is one of love affairs, betrayal, and the resolve and strength of character to move on with life. Jeanne, (portrayed by Bissett), a writer living in France meets an exciting new man, Bernard (Perez). The storyline is shown to the viewer in retrospect by Jeanne's character. Using flashbacks of their relationship, the film shows Jeanne pondering the relationship from beginning to end, trying to determine what has gone wrong. They begin a passionate and wonderful love affair.

As the relationship progresses, Bernard asks Jeanne to marry him and she declines stating that she is barren. Bernard professes to love her and states that it does not matter. Jeanne argues that she had a previous relationship that started out the same way and it ended because it did eventually matter. Bernard argues that it will not happen to them. Jeanne, loving this man as she does, believes him and they begin their engagement. Jeanne and Bernard begin making plans, buying a house etc, ie committing themselves to things longterm.

This film offers wonderful scenes of love, passion, and eventually betrayal. Bernard reached his 30th birthday and secretly begins an affair with another woman. Jeanne, thru her flashbacks realizes that he has attempted to tell her something is wrong several times. She is caught off guard when Bernard finally tells her that he does need children and has been seeing someone else. Film watchers experience along with Jeanne's character, the ultimate act and feeling of betrayal, her desperation to try to hang on to and salvage this relationship.....

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