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Les Amours d'Astrée et de Céladon
Romance of Astrea and Celadon
Gli Amori di Astrea e Celadon
France / Italy / Spain 2007
produced by Francoise Etchegaray, Philippe Liégeois, Jean-Michel Rey for Compagnie Eric Rohmer, Rézo Productions, BIM Distribuzione, Alta Producción, Canal+, Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
directed by Eric Rohmer
starring Andy Gillet, Sttéphanie Crayencour, Cécile Cassel, Véronique Reymond, Rosette, Jocelyn Quivrin, Mathilde Mosnier, Rodolphe Pauly, Serge Renko, Arthur Dupont, Priscilla Galland, Olivier Blond, Alexandre Everest, Fanny Vambacas, Caroline Blotière, Alain Libolt, Marie Rivière
screenplay by Eric Rohmer, based on the novel L'Astrée by Honoré d'Urfé, music by Jean-Louis Valéro
review by Mike Haberfelner
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France, time of the Romans and Gauls - even if some sets suggest
otherwise: Shepherdess Astrée (Stéphanie Crayencour) thinks her lover
Céladon (Andy Gillet) has cheated on her (which is not true), so she
breaks up with him and never wants to see him again - which is too much
for Céladon so he immediately jumps into the next river to kill himself,
and since his body cannot be found, he is presumed dead by his people.
Only then does Astrée learn about his undying love, and from now on, she
does nothing but mourn over him. Céladon though hasn't died, he has
been saved and nursed back to health by three nymphs, Galatée (Véronique
Reymond), Léonide (Cécile Cassel) and Sylvie (Rosette). Thing is,
Galatée wants to keep him for herself though, while he knows he can never
love her and out of desperation wants to kill himself again ... but
Léonide has pity with the poor chap, helps him escape and - since he
doesn't want to return to Astrée since she has vowed she doesn't want to
ever see him again - gives him abode in a small hut. She knows though
that before long, Céladon has to be reunited with Astrée, but since he
can't be made to see reason, she and her uncle, the druid Adamas (Serge
Renko) come up with a rouse to make him meet her without being himself -
he has to dress up as the druid's daughter Alexia and visit Adamas' place
when Astrée and company stay there for the mistletoe festival ... and as
Alexia he manages to win Astrée's heart back, only then can he reveal his
true identity. The adaptation of Honoré D'Urfé's novel L'Astrée
could have become a pompous but bloodless kitsch fest in the hands of
another director - but Eric Rohmer approaches his source material in a
(self-)ironic way, refuses to let lavish sets and costumes detract from
the main plot (and not only for budgetary reasons), and his directorial
effort is as light-footed and unexcited as in his best films. And in its
intentionally simple way, Les Amours d'Astrée et de Céladon is
amazingly entertaining.
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