Thank you for joining this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.
I'm always up for a book or movie set in France. Since our anniversary rolled around and gave us a chance to stop working on the house for a few hours, I suggested that we go see Paris Can Wait with Diane Lane. Of course, we probably remember her from Under the Tuscan Sun. That woman gets around to European countries!
Lane plays Anne, wife of movie producer, Michael, played by Alec Baldwin, who is always attached to a phone -- emotionally remote. The two are leaving Cannes to fly to Budapest for Baldwin's next movie, but Anne's ears are bothering her and the pilot advises against flying.
In steps Jacques, one of Michael's business partners who volunteers to drive Anne to Paris. They think they'll be there by the evening, even though it's a 9-hour drive on a good day. As Michael flies off to Budapest, Jacques begins the French education of Anne. It starts with a relaxing lunch right in Cannes, and a bottle of wine just for her.
Jacques, played by Arnaud Viard, proves to be a caring travel partner, stopping to get drops for Anne's ears, reserving two rooms for their overnight stay instead of one. Slowly, Anne is won over and decides that Paris Can Wait.
The movie is full of contradictions. Jacques is this charming gentleman, but something feels slightly sinister. He has Anne pay for things, saying he'll give her the cash when they get to Paris. She overhears him on the phone trying to convince someone to give him a loan. He gets her to confide in him and he tells a story about his brother dying that seems a little off.
Everyone who reads this blog knows that I am crazy about all things France, even so, the movie felt a little too tour-guide-ish to me. Jacques would tell the history of each monument or mountain they came upon.
I enjoyed the movie, but it didn't sweep me away. The plot was too shallow, and in the end, the movie doesn't even resolve itself. It felt like a television show that I'll need to tune in to next week to see what happens.
Go see it if you love French food and countryside, but don't make the mistake we did of the cushy recliner seats. You might just fall asleep.
Thanks so much for playing along with Dreaming of France. Please leave your link below and visit each other's blogs to share your love for France.
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