Gabrielle (film)

Infobox Film | name = Gabrielle


caption = Promotional movie poster for the film
director = Patrice Chéreau
producer = Joseph Strub
Serge Catoire
Ferdinanda Frangipane
writer = Patrice Chéreau
Anne-Louise Trividic
starring = Isabelle Huppert
Pascal Greggory
Claudia Coli
music = Fabio Vacchi
cinematography = Éric Gautier
editing =
distributor = IFC First Take (U.S.)
released = September 28, 2005 (France)
July 14, 2006 (U.S.)
runtime = 90 minutes
language = French
budget =
imdb_id = 0435479

"Gabrielle" is French filmmaker Patrice Chéreau's screen adaptation of Joseph Conrad's short story "The Return".

Plot

Jean Harvey and his wife Gabrielle are renowned within Paris' haute bourgeoisie for the salons they host each Thursday evening.

Jean and Gabrielle live a comfortable yet regimented life in a well-appointed Paris mansion, assisted by a retinue of devoted servants. Yet their marriage is more of a contract than a relationship. Jean confides to the audience that he loves Gabrielle "as a collector loves his most prized object."

On their 10th anniversary, Jean comes home to find a note from Gabrielle in which she writes that within the hour she will have left to meet her lover.

Jean spends several minutes digesting the meaning of the note. Gabrielle returns shortly, though, and Jean and Gabrielle reflect on their marriage for the remainder of the film.

Notes

"Gabrielle" opened in the United States on July 14, 2006 at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and the IFC Center in Manhattan. It was also available that weekend to many home cable subscribers throughout the U.S. via video on demand through IFC. Subsequent release dates are July 28, 2006 in Boston and August 4, 2006 in Los Angeles.

Cast

* Isabelle Huppert — Gabrielle Hervey
* Pascal Greggory — Jean Hervey
* Claudia Coli — Yvonne, Gabrielle's maid
* Thierry Hancisse — Editor in Chief of Jean's financial publication
* Chantal Neuwirth — Madeleine

External links

* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/07/14/movies/14gabr.html Dargis, Manohla. (2006, July 14). "For a Couple at Belle Époque's Close, It's Getting Brutal". The New York Times, p. B8]