L'appartement (1996)

Director:

Gilles Mimouni

Writer:

Gilles Mimouni (writer)

Release Date:

27 July 1996 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

Max is on his way to Tokyo. He lives in Paris and likes to flirt but has decided to get married. By chance...

Plot Keywords:

Buddy | Apartment | Airport | Nonlinear Timeline | Actress

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Romane Bohringer	...	Alice
Vincent Cassel	...	Max
Jean-Philippe Écoffey	...	Lucien
Monica Bellucci	...	Lisa
Sandrine Kiberlain	...	Muriel
Olivier Granier	...	Daniel
Paul Pavel	...	Jeweller
Nelly Alard	...	Madeleine
Bruno Leonelli	...	Alain Beccaria
Tateo Isaizaki	...	Japanese Businessman
Tsuyu Shimizu	...	Japanese Interpreter
Ricardo Mateo	...	Cafe Waiter
Vincent Nemeth	...	Barman
Bruno Fernández Vella	...	Video Technician
Juan Carlos Martín Alonso	...	Video Technician
Claude Hirch	...	Video Technician
Hervé Jakubowicz	...	Video Sales
Oury Milshtein	...	Receptionist
Roger Patrice Bernard	...	Room Service
Vanessa Soboul	...	Josiane
Sandra Gayarre	...	Shoe salesperson
Marcel Godot	...	Hotel Manager
André Haber	...	Priest
Bruno Ricci	...	Theatre Actor
Fenia Papadodima	...	Theatre Actess (as Photini Papadodima)
Edouard Baer	...	Theatre Actor
Michel Bompoil	...	Director
Michèle Rème	...	Theatre Secretary
Jorge Bosch	...	Bernard
Eva Ionesco	...	Woman at Travel Agency
Enzo Gallo	...	Passer-by
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diane Calma	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Gilles Mimouni

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gilles Mimouni		writer

Produced by
Georges Benayoun	....	producer
Mate Cantero	....	associate producer
Elisabeth Deviosse	....	executive producer
Yves Marmion	....	associate producer
Stéphane Sorlat	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Peter Chase

Cinematography by
Thierry Arbogast

Film Editing by
Caroline Biggerstaff
Françoise Bonnot

Casting by
Gigi Akoka

Production Design by
Philippe Chiffre

Art Direction by
Philippe Chiffre

Set Decoration by
Corinne Lafaille

Costume Design by
Laurence Heller

Makeup Department
Lourdes Briones	....	makeup artist
John Nollet	....	hair stylist
Luca Oblach	....	head makeup artist

Production Management
Bruno Coulon	....	unit manager
Patrice Poupard	....	unit manager
Jacques Scarrone	....	unit production manager
Ana Vila	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marta de Benito	....	assistant director
Hervé Jakubowicz	....	assistant director
Bernard Pujolar	....	assistant director
Luc Riff	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Vincent Arnardi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Chevallier	....	sound recordist
Eric Devulder	....	sound
Thierry Lebon	....	sound mixer
Stephane Lioret	....	boom operator
Jacques Thomas-Gérard	....	sound mixer
Vincent Tulli	....	sound effects
Ken Yasumoto	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Reyes Abades	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Gil Fontbonne	....	key grip
Carlos Parra	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laurence Heller	....	costumes

Editorial Department
Yvan Lucas	....	color timer
Isabelle Manquillet	....	trainee assistant editor
Isabelle Proust	....	assistant editor

Production Companies

• Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica
• IMA Productions
• La Sept Cinéma
• M6 Films
• Mate Producciones S.A.
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC)

Distributors

• Artificial Eye (1997) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Galileo Medien AG (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Homescreen (1997) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Lionsgate (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2000) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Les Versaillais

Also Known As:

Flash-back (El apartamento) (Spain)
L'appartamento (Italy)
The Apartment
Квартира (Russia) [ru]
Diamerisma sto kentro tis polis (Greece) [el]
Ha-Dira (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Kohtalokas asunto (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Lügen der Liebe (Germany) [de]
Leiligheten (Norway) [no]
Liebe und Lügen (Germany) (cable TV title) [de]
Tyttöjen boksi (Finland) (DVD title) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

France | Spain | Italy

Language:

French | English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:R (DVD) | Finland:K-15 (2006) | South Korea:18 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Estudios Los Angeles, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica

Movie Connections:

References The Apartment (1960)

Soundtrack:

Same kind of woman

... has a terrific room for editing (DVD)

This sad romance is untellable because the director decides to break its narration and to offer the points of view of each characters. So, there are a lot of flashbacks, of re-shooting of the same scene. But, it would be an extraordinary moment of cinema to put all the fragments in order to see the result!

And it would worth it, because it's for me, just one the best French movie ever made!

It has everything:

Cast: first steps of Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel! Such a presence and such voices, even for a hard-of-hearing! It's symbolic for them to have fallen in love with this movie!

Directing: his camera is bright, alive, plays with the sets or can be mysterious with long close-up "à la David Lynch".

Cinematography: the light is beautiful, between gold and rust, like their love!

A never-seen before Paris: It's a Paris out-of-time of more accurately, a composite of a lot of districts! Huge search here! It's look like Gotham City, modern and old at the same time!

Music: Not the big orchestra but in perfect tune with the frames. And the song of Charles Aznavour made me discover this great singer!

Ah, … the story! As I said, it's a love story but rather tragic: Saying that love can be for nothing, that it doesn't make all people happy or isn't guaranteed for a sweet ending is great because this message isn't often told! Love is passion, which is derivative from the Latin "pain". You can suffer a lot when you are in love! Because of the Why .. ?, of the endless waiting, the lack of courage, the indecision.

And when you can ease yourself, fate, destiny, god (?), devil (?) can stab you in the back , just because you arrive too soon or too late, and above all, because love means 2 in a world of billions! A lot of things can happen and as much stories can be written! So, what's love?

Personally, I lived some moments like this: in a car with the dear one. Her mobile rings and you know it's her "special friend" whom she kisses goodbye (and not you, even if we are always together). So, you want to go out of this car to leave them together, to not hear the sweet but cruel words but you can't, because an amazing hard rain just started!

I found that this movie depicts those moments of tragedy as no one else!