Betty (film)
Encyclopedia
Betty is a French
movie directed by Claude Chabrol
based on the homonymous novel by Georges Simenon
. It was first released in France in 1992.
), a young alcoholic woman, is caught cold while cheating on her bourgeois husband. Wasting no time, he and his family arrange a quick divorce settlement, ousting her from home and keeping her away from the two children the couple have. One night she ends up in a restaurant called Le Trou (The Hole), where she meets Laure (Stéphane Audran
), an older woman, an alcoholic herself. Laure decides to take care of Betty after hearing the heart-breaking stories of her being a victim of a rich and ruthless society. Betty receives care and friendship from Laure, who's in a relationship with Mario (Jean-Francois Garreaud), the restaurant's owner. The envy toward Laure for Mario grows each day and will drive Betty to artfully contrive the means to conquer her new friend's lover. Laure realizes she has made a mistake by trusting her new friend and things soon begin to tremble between them. Betty's true colors are now visible and she sees her life at a point of no return, as she selfishly stomped on the last chance she had been given to be a better person.
defined Marie Trintignant's performance "Smashing". EW's vote was a B+. In the Chicago Sun Times Roger Ebert describes the film as a story of intertwined surprises, a film that doesn't have a plot per-se. The story is a chain reaction of events as this is the story of a woman who keeps tripping in her own faults and reckless behavior. Megan Rosenfeld, staff writer at The Washington Post, appears to have found Marie Trintignant's performance a tad empty besides the contribution she gives to the movie through her beauty.
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
movie directed by Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol was a French film director, a member of the French New Wave group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s...
based on the homonymous novel by Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon
Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 200 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Maigret.-Early life and education:...
. It was first released in France in 1992.
Plot
Betty (Marie TrintignantMarie Trintignant
-Early life:She was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, the daughter of actor Jean-Louis Trintignant and his second wife Nadine Marquand. She first appeared on screen aged 4 in her mother's film, My Love, My Love. When Marie's baby sister Pauline died when Marie was 8, she became withdrawn and virtually...
), a young alcoholic woman, is caught cold while cheating on her bourgeois husband. Wasting no time, he and his family arrange a quick divorce settlement, ousting her from home and keeping her away from the two children the couple have. One night she ends up in a restaurant called Le Trou (The Hole), where she meets Laure (Stéphane Audran
Stéphane Audran
Stéphane Audran is a French film and television actress, known for her performances in Oscar winning movies such as Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie and Babette's Feast and in critically acclaimed films like The Big Red One and Violette Nozière .She married...
), an older woman, an alcoholic herself. Laure decides to take care of Betty after hearing the heart-breaking stories of her being a victim of a rich and ruthless society. Betty receives care and friendship from Laure, who's in a relationship with Mario (Jean-Francois Garreaud), the restaurant's owner. The envy toward Laure for Mario grows each day and will drive Betty to artfully contrive the means to conquer her new friend's lover. Laure realizes she has made a mistake by trusting her new friend and things soon begin to tremble between them. Betty's true colors are now visible and she sees her life at a point of no return, as she selfishly stomped on the last chance she had been given to be a better person.
Cast
- Marie TrintignantMarie Trintignant-Early life:She was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, the daughter of actor Jean-Louis Trintignant and his second wife Nadine Marquand. She first appeared on screen aged 4 in her mother's film, My Love, My Love. When Marie's baby sister Pauline died when Marie was 8, she became withdrawn and virtually...
- Stéphane AudranStéphane AudranStéphane Audran is a French film and television actress, known for her performances in Oscar winning movies such as Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie and Babette's Feast and in critically acclaimed films like The Big Red One and Violette Nozière .She married...
- Jean-François Garreaud
- Yves Lambrecht
- Thomas Chabrol
- Pierre VernierPierre VernierPierre Vernier was a French mathematician and instrument inventor. He was inventor and eponym of the vernier scale used in measuring devices....
Reception
Journalist Lawrence O'Toole from Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
defined Marie Trintignant's performance "Smashing". EW's vote was a B+. In the Chicago Sun Times Roger Ebert describes the film as a story of intertwined surprises, a film that doesn't have a plot per-se. The story is a chain reaction of events as this is the story of a woman who keeps tripping in her own faults and reckless behavior. Megan Rosenfeld, staff writer at The Washington Post, appears to have found Marie Trintignant's performance a tad empty besides the contribution she gives to the movie through her beauty.