Late August, Early September
| Late August, Early September | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Olivier Assayas |
| Written by | Olivier Assayas |
| Produced by | Georges Benayoun Philippe Carcassonne Françoise Guglielmi |
| Starring | Mathieu Amalric |
| Cinematography | Denis Lenoir |
| Edited by | Luc Barnier |
| Distributed by | PolyGram Film Distribution[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Budget | $2.6 million |
| Box office | $1.5 million[2] |
Late August, Early September (French: Fin août, début septembre) is a 1998 French drama film directed by Olivier Assayas and starring Mathieu Amalric.[3]
Plot[edit]
Adrien (François Cluzet), a writer who has had only marginal commercial success as a bestselling author, discovers that he is dying and tells his friend Gabriel (Mathieu Amalric), with whom he has had a tumultuous relationship. Gabriel tries to attend to his friend while making sense of his complicated romantic life, torn between dependable Jenny (Jeanne Balibar) and volatile Anne (Virginie Ledoyen). Unlike Adrien, Gabriel is not a risk-taker: His career path as an editor at a publishing house is steady and secure. He edits an encyclopedia while his older friend attempts to write his greatest book yet. Meanwhile, other friends of Adrien struggle to assess their lives and careers in the wake of his revelation.[4]
Reviews[edit]
The movie, like most in its genre, is a constant mix of scenes in bars, bedrooms, and workplaces. The story is driven by the characters and their dialogue, with quick fades and an edgy look thanks to Denis Lenoir’s handheld camera and faded colors. The music kicks in at the right moments to enhance the mood. A little trim in the last half-hour wouldn’t hurt, but by the end, you’re still curious to follow these characters further, feeling that their story isn’t quite over yet.
The New York Times Art review section said the following in 1999, "Cluzet is as grave and thoughtful as the screenplay makes him, though perhaps not as cruel (Arsinee Khanjian plays his bitter ex-lover). And Ms. Ledoyen, in decadent bohemian mode here, is one of the great beauties of contemporary French cinema. "Do I look like a bimbo from Paris?" her Anne asks Gabriel coyly as he brings her to dinner in the country with too many of Jenny's old friends. This is the sort of film in which even Anne's kinky streak is given a pretty gloss.
Assayas gives the film a self-consciously natural look (with hand-held camera work). And he structures it as a series of indirect glimpses into these people and the various entanglements in their lives. The effect is meant to be enhanced through juxtapositions (he has compared this to David Hockney's fragmented landscapes made of Polaroids), but it often stays muted and remote."[5]
Cast[edit]
- Mathieu Amalric as Gabriel
- Virginie Ledoyen as Anne
- François Cluzet as Adrien
- Jeanne Balibar as Jenny
- Alex Descas as Jérémie
- Arsinée Khanjian as Lucie
- Mia Hansen-Løve as Véra
- Nathalie Richard as Maryelle
- Éric Elmosnino as Thomas
- Olivier Cruveiller as Axel
- Jean-Baptiste Malartre as the publisher
- André Marcon as Hattou
- Elisabeth Mazev as the woman who visits the apartment
- Olivier Py as the man who visits the apartment
- Jean-Baptiste Montagut as Joseph Costa
References[edit]
- ^ "Late August, Early September (1999)". UniFrance. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ JP. "Fin août, début septembre (Late August, Early September) (1999)- JPBox-Office". Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (2007). "Late August, Early September". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
- ^ Elley, Derek (12 October 1998). "Late August, Early September". Variety. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "'Late August, Early September': Romantic Standoffs in the Face of Mortal Illness". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
External links[edit]
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