Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.


Every person in the world has a fantasy to be with an actor or actress. Yet, even the thought of marrying them would be a fine fantasy. What if it becomes real? You are married to an actress yet you have to deal with not seeing her all the time, her kissing other actors, and being in demand a lot. Well, that’s what French actor/writer/director Yvan Attal examines in his 2001 romantic comedy with British actress and wife Charlotte Gainsbourg in the film “Ma femme est une actrice (“My Wife is an Actress”).

Written, directed and starring Attal with Gainsbourg in the role of the actress, the film is about a sports writer and his marriage to his movie-star actress where her career is taking off as she’s about to work with a respected, handsome British actor. Her husband becomes jealous when people talk about how great she is and how they want to have fantasies with her where he’s trying to understand his wife’s profession while she’s dealing with his jealousy and her infatuation with the British actor. Also starring Terence Stamp, Noemie Lvovsky, Laurent Bateau, Keith Allen, and Ludivine Sagnier. “Ma femme est une actrice” is a funny, intriguing romantic comedy that rises above the average ones.

In Paris, there are millions of women all over the city with over half of them wanting to be actresses or are one. For French sports writer Yvan (Yvan Attal), he couldn’t believe he is married to one named Charlotte (Charlotte Gainsbourg). While he is madly in love with her as a person, he has trouble dealing with the growing fame she’s getting, especially when fans come up to her and wanting her autograph. Then one day during a dinner with his pregnant sister Nathalie (Noemie Lvovsky) and her husband Vincent (Laurent Bateau), he has problems with the attention Charlotte is getting while Charlotte is in awe of Nathalie for becoming a mother. Charlotte then learns she is about to act in a British film production with an actor named John (Terence Stamp) who is considered to be one of the best, especially among young women who find him attractive for an old man.

Yvan tries to ignore the best of his situation when he hangs with Nathalie and Vincent but they’re having problems of their own concerning the birth of their child, especially the sex since Nathalie wants a traditional circumcision for her son, since she’s Jewish. Vincent doesn’t know the big deal. One day when Charlotte is in London working, Yvan is with Vincent at lunch when a fan named Georges (Lionel Abelanski) learns that Yvan is Charlotte’s husband. He talks about how great Charlotte is and his desire to have a fantasy with her where Yvan punches the guy. He goes to London to visit Charlotte and has trouble dealing with her profession while she insists that John is a total professional who is just a charismatic man who loves to draw and help actors.

Learning there will be love scenes, Yvan is not happy about Charlotte kissing another man and Charlotte feels bothered about an idea for an upcoming sex scene when she suggests to her director (Keith Allen) that if she’s going to be naked, then her whole crew will have to be naked. On that day, Yvan comes to visit only to be in shock at what he sees where he returns home to Paris. He goes to dinner with Nathalie and their parents where he notices the relationship between her and Vincent is becoming increasingly difficult. Even when he is back working in his job, he talks to Charlotte about what he saw and couldn’t believe that the profession she’s in and suspects that she’s falling for John. She admits, she’s in awe of him but it’s completely professional.

Yvan decides to find out the world of acting by going to a workshop where he impresses a few students for his interpretation of a flower blooming. One of those impressed is a student named Geraldine (Ludivine Sagnier) who is amazed how natural he is and during a cup of coffee with her friends, they talk about John and Yvan goes nuts again. Yvan finally meets John where Yvan couldn’t believe how bad his French is and mocks him where Charlotte realizes his jealousy and admits, she might even consider sleeping with John. Yvan goes home and finally understands the difficulty that she has to go through while she then returns after working and both of their frustrated feelings come ahead to each other.

While Attal does a good job with a straightforward narrative and directing approach on the film’s first two acts, by the third act, it stumbles. While the film is interesting with a subplot concerning Yvan’s sister that doesn’t make anything distracting only to serve the sibling rivalry over Yvan and Nathalie. The third act really suffers when it shifts to fast from a witty comedy to something a bit too serious where Charlotte and Yvan both nearly engage in affairs, which really makes the film to become something different. Even the ending is a little bit of a cop-out since nothing is really resolved in the end. Still, the film is enjoyable and fun to watch with wondrous look of gray London and colorful Paris from Attal and cinematographer Remy Chervin along with a lovely, melodic score from Brad Mehldau that included a funny use of the Clash’s “London Calling” in some hilarious scenes relating to London.

While Keith Allen, Lionel Abelanski, and Ludivine Sagnier are fine in their small roles, they each do well with their comedic timing, notably Sagnier who presents herself as a charming ingénue to Attal’s exploration into the world of acting. Laurent Bateau is a huge standout in the film as Yvan’s brother-in-law Vincent with his snide comments on stardom and marriage, particularly his own in which, he finds troubling. Noemie Lvovsky is the more obvious standout as Yvan’s frustrated, unloved sister who feels her marriage is crumbling while beginning to understand her brother’s troubled marriage when for years, she’s jealous of him.

Terence Stamp is always great in his role as the charming John but isn’t really given much to but look cool and be charming while flirting with the women in smaller roles. Charlotte Gainsbourg is lovely in her difficult role as the actress where you feel for her sympathy about kissing other men for her profession proving that being an actress is hard enough but being a star is tougher. Yvan Attal also brings a sympathetic performance, even in funnier scenes where you understand his jealousy and he really shines when he portrays a flower.

While “Ma femme est une actrice” isn’t a great romantic-comedy yet in comparison to most of the American romantic comedies seen here, it cuts above rest. While Yvan Attal only stumbles in the film’s weak third act, he does bring a funny witty story with his film while having some lovely chemistry with real-life wife Charlotte Gainsbourg. Fans of French cinema will find this to be a bit average but will admit; it is an enjoyable film to watch. Especially for those who are fans of Terence Stamp and Ludivine Sagnier will enjoy their small supporting roles. For a fun film about that dream of marrying an actress, “Ma femme est une actrice” is a good film despite its disappointing third act.

Ludivine Sagnier Reviews:

Water Drops on Burning Rocks (2000):

http://www.epinions.com/content_137746419332

8 Women (2002):

http://www.epinions.com/content_129237159556

Swimming Pool (2003):

http://www.epinions.com/content_135739575940



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age