Gustave
Flaubert was an exacting writer who often spent days perfecting a handful of lines,
making him a fitting literary idol for a fussbudget like Martin Joubert. As a
result, when an English woman named Gemma Bovery (mind the “g” and the “e”)
moves to his Rouen village, he quickly fixates on her similarity with Flaubert’s
Emma Bovary. Her curviness does not exactly dampen his interest either.
Literary obsession will have comedic and tragic implications in Anne Fontaine’s
Gemma Bovery (trailer here), which opens this
Friday in New York.
Joubert
was once a miserable editor for a Parisian publishing house, but he has been
much happier since he returned to Normandy to take over the family bakery—up until
now. It was Charlie Bovery’s idea to move to France. Even though his somewhat
younger wife Gemma does not speak French, the antiques restorer thought the
charms of provincial life would be a healthier environment for them. However,
as Joubert immediately suspects, small town life is rather stifling for the
passionate namesake.
As
part narrator and part Iago, we watch the story unfold through Joubert’s
jealous eyes. He is perfectly positioned for spying, since the Boverys moved in
right across the street from the Jouberts. Despite his obvious infatuation, the
curt Valérie Joubert is not particularly concerned about anything happening
between them, for obvious reasons. However, when Bovery commences an illicit
affair with the shiftless son of the wealthy Madame de Bressigny, Joubert’s
rash petulance will set in motion an unfortunate but perhaps inevitable series
of events.
With
her adaptation of Posy Simmonds’ graphic novel (with co-screenwriter Pascal
Bonitzer), Fontaine completely redeems herself for the cringing smarminess of Adore. This is a wickedly droll film
that saunters towards its sad end with a strangely carefree but knowing vibe. Frankly,
the final ten or fifteen minutes are just about brilliant.
Of
course, Fabrice Luchini is perfectly at home with Martin Joubert’s literate
humor and angst-ridden yearning. He plays a darkly comic figure, but one that
is dashed easy to relate to. Frankly, someone like Film Forum or MoMA ought to
program an overdue retrospective of his films. Gemma Arterton alos brings an
earthy sensuality to the film as Bovery and earns credit for her diligence learning
French. Yet, one of the film’s most notable surprises is Jason Flemyng’s
dignified, humanistic portrayal of Charlie Bovery, who is quite the far cry
from the put-upon cartographer of the recent chaotic Russian maelstrom that is Forbidden Empire.
