Emmanuelle Beart Movie:

				Label: Accent Salesrank: 184622 Released: August 30, 2005
		Our Price: $22.22
		Used Price: $22.23
		MPAA Rating: Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
Australia released, PAL/Region 0 DVD:it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: French ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ),English ( Subtitles ),WIDESCREEN, SYNOPSIS: Stephane and Maxime run a well-respected violin making and repair business. When man-about-town Maxime falls in love with violin virtuoso Camille, Stephane - whose only attachment is a platonic one with a bookshop owner - takes his own interest in this new girl in Maxime's life and in her music-making. Camille gradually becomes attracted to him, but finds his cold lack of response by turns puzzling and irritating. Bit by bit the odd ménage-à-trois becomes set on a collision course.
SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, Ceasar Awards, David Donatello Awards, European Film Awards, Venice Film Festival,

Description of Un Coeur En Hiver (A Heart in Winter) [NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia]:
Daniel Auteuil (Manon of the Spring) plays Stephane, the curiously diffident coowner of an exclusive violin brokerage and repair shop. A brilliant technician, Stephane can make any instrument live up to its promise, yet he is emotionally remote himself, disconnected from passionate experience. His partner, Maxime (André Dussollier), lacks Stephane's gifts but is rich in personality and desire. When Maxime's new lover, a violinist named Camille (Emmanuelle Béart), is drawn to Stephane's still waters, the latter is briefly moved, thus destroying the fragile, symbiotic relationship between all three individuals. Veteran French filmmaker Claude Sautet (of the Oscar-winning César et Rosalie) has made a powerful film here expressed in the smallest of gestures, just as one might tune the strings of a violin ever-so-slightly to achieve perfection. Sautet indeed employs such a sonorous motif in this story, in which violins always seem to be playing and suggesting that the principal characters look at life as they do music: something to be tinkered with and manipulated for effect. --Tom Keogh

Un Coeur En Hiver (A Heart in Winter) [NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia] Reviews:
Third episode of an Incredible Trilogy
2009-11-05 - "Un Coeur en Hiver" is the third episode of an incredible trilogy that began with "Jean De Florette", and then "Manon of the Spring".
In MOTS, Daniel Auteuil plays a feculent dolt who becomes obsessed with the Emmanuelle Béart character, who rejects him soundly.
In UCEH, the tables are turned as the soul of the Auteuil character has incarnated into a new life as a finely tuned, though emotionally reserved, artist and craftsman.
The Beart character finds herself inexplicably, and uncontrollably, obsessed with Auteuil's aloof Violin maker, thereby rebalancing the scales of Kharma across Time.
Viewed as a three picture marathon, this trilogy opens the eyes to the greater life of the Soul as it marches through it's many lives.
For a Life-changing experience, view this Trilogy with someone you Love...

Sad from a Distance
2009-08-03 - If you like Daniel Auteuil, this one will remind you that he can act. However, in spite of Un Coeur en Hiver being very sad, and very French, "A Heart in Winter" maintains an extremely from-a-distance perspective throughout the film, albeit a melancholic- with-violins -in-the-background, seemingly emotional perspective. I found it difficult, really in truth, impossible to empathize with the characters. This is not the type of sad I'd cry over.

Set primarily in an urban French setting (cafes, restaurants, city streets, music recording studios, etc.), the interloper captures the beloved and then tells his beloved ...it was all a cruel game. He tells her he doesn't love her while his eyes tell her he loves her. Centered around beauty from across a canyon, his love melts the ice princess and topples her, then he runs away. He continues to return to her to offer glimpses of his love and remind her of his inability love her. Again, not the kind of behavior I'd cry over.

I wondered throughout the film if the guy would come around, a question that kept me watching to the end! You'll have to find out for yourself. If this was something other than French cinema, there would be a sequel.

Although there were many things that didn't capture my heart, this was still a film worth watching. Emmaneulle Beart remains beautiful to behold, throughout, and the musical component in this film is well worth the viewing, as are the urban and rural (Provence) French locations.


A Masterpiece of Love
2009-04-29 - Un Coeur en Hiver is a masterpiece in so many ways. It is a quiet film that draws you in and keeps you captivated for the full 105 minutes. At no point did I ever try to fast forward this film, including the gorgeous music sessions.

The story is love triangle between Maxime, the owner of a violin repair shop; Camille, a young and rising violinist; and Stephane, the humble artisan in the repair shop. Maxime is in love with Camille (absolutely stunning gorgeous Emmanuelle Béart). Camille begins to fall in love with stoic Stephane, while staying with Maxime. As the film progresses Camille shows more and more affection for Stephane. The twist, Stephane refuses her love. According to the DVD special feature interview with director Claude Sautet, this is Othello told from the perspective of Iago, or Stephane in this film.

The reference to Shakespeare is wonderful, and those that love literature will love this film just for the reference. However, this is a film that requires absolutely no knowledge of that play to enjoy the beauty Sautet brought the screen.

The music is absolutely stunning. Even if a person does not love classical music, the music playing moments are so perfect. Sautet uses the interludes where Camille plays the violin as rests or a changes in the story line; the timing is so exactly right. Apparently, Emmanuelle Béart spent a year taking violin lessons preparing for this part.

The film is set in Paris at a time when service and appearances matter deeply. Stephane and Camille enter a crowded restaurant for a quick break during her recording session. There are no tables, so the maitre'd shows them to the bar. They order a cheese plate and a beer. A few moments later the bar tender leans over and says a table has just opened up. The try to take the plate and glass. The bartender stops them and has a waiter come over to deliver their food to the table. A small moment, a gracious moment, the kind of thing that happened in Paris all the time. People dressed nicely, they were polite to eachother, and service was number one.

Not rated by the MPAA. Elsewhere in the world it is rated 12/13/14. There is no strong language in the subtitles. There is no nudity. There is no violence. There is one somewhat senuous scene where a nude female back is shown in bed, but nobody else is in that bed (a chaste but senuous scene because of what the imagination says happened - that's the most powerful type of this scene). The film is very far from R rated, it might be PG-13, but if the MPAA were honest, this is a PG film. In French with English subtitles that can be turned off. No English soundtrack.

The bonus features on this DVD are very interesting. Again Europeans seem to understand how to pack useful things onto DVD's. There's a couple of old news clips from French Television (TF1, when it existed). The best are the interviews with the director. He explains some interesting backdrops to this film. I found them worthwhile.

A masterpiece that doesn't require special acquired tastes to view. A person can simply start this film, sit back and be entertained. Sautet takes care of making you care about the three characters. He takes care of the beautiful music. And he makes sure you are moved by this film.

Can beauty melt an ice-cold heart?
2009-03-29 - Beauty, it has been said, can soothe the savage soul. But can it melt an ice-cold heart? This movies answers, "No, even if Beauty is personified in the gorgeous Emmanuelle Beart." The man who will not budge is played by Daniel Auteuil, one of France's leading actors, and his characterization is eminently believable--though, like me, you'll probably be thinking, "dude, have you lost your mind?" Beart is the violinist who falls in love with him to no avail.

I gave five stars because the idea is original and the execution is excellent. However, I thought the story might have explained how Stephane (Auteuil), a man in his 40s, got to be stiff as a board in the emotional intelligence department. Maybe that's all meant to be a mystery, maybe it's best not to ask the question, but had I written the script I would have figured out some way of hinting at the issue without being obvious or superficial--fear of intimacy doesn't arise overnight.

Still, all in all an enjoyable movie, adult and well acted and way different from the usual tripe we get from Hollywood these days.

"Un Coeur En Hiver", C'est Très Froid!
2009-01-31 - I saw this movie's review a bunch of times and was thinking it might be overrated from all the positive reviews I read. After a while, I decided to check out what all the fuss was about and rented it. I will never regret this decision.

I have a passion for French films and have seen quite a few in my time, but rarely has a movie touched my heart like this film has. Camille is a talented violinist who falls for her lover's business partner, Stéphane. All this seemed scandalously romantic until Stéphane's true colors were revealed: he is incapable of emotional intimacy.

I have read some reviews that have said the plot is lacking, but the plot was what drew me in right away. Perhaps it is because of the way the actors pulled off their roles, which is pretty much seamlessly.

What I enjoyed most about "Un Coeur En Hiver" were the intelligent yet casual dialogues. The things talked about were ordinary, everyday things yet were still interesting. I myself have rarely come across people who could hold an intellectual conversation like the ones in this film. I do not mean to sound egotistical, but I simply enjoy having a conversation with someone politely, wittily and casually. This movie allows me to escape to an ideal place.

"Un Coeur En Hiver" is not a movie for everyone. But if one enjoys intelligent, philosophical and profound dramas, definitely check this French flick out. You may be incredibly surprised...and moved.