Main Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Anouk Grinberg, Gérard Depardieu, Michel Blanc, Jean Carmet
Release Year: 1991
Country: FR
Run Time: 117 minutes
Plot
In this frequently surrealistic romp, a satire on sex, politics, and the business of filmmaking, two young women get together after discovering sufficient provocations in their lives to deliberately set out to wreak havoc in the world around them. Joelle (Anouk Grinberg) has just been thrown out of a moving car by her abusive man-friend, when Camille (Charlotte Gainsbourg) encounters her. Joelle's bitter exclamation Merci la Vie, or "thank you, life" echoes something of Camille's feelings, and the two decide to go on a rampage, picking up and seducing numerous men and then doing things like destroying their cars. Eventually, they set their sights on a "higher" goal and decide to do in an entire town. Meanwhile, it becomes evident that a sinister medical researcher, Dr. Worms (Gérard Depardieu), has infected promiscuous Joelle with a sexually transmitted disease he invented for the sole purpose of becoming the man who finds its cure, which he hopes will make him beloved, famous and rich. At some point, an elaborate series of flashbacks enter the story, and in one sequence, Camille attempts to persuade her feuding parents to get back together long enough to conceive her. Reviewers noted that logic is not a strong point in this film, but they found its fast pace and bright performances vastly entertaining. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Catherine Jacob - Mother (young); Annie Girardot - Mother (old); Jean-Louis Trintignant - SS Officer; Thierry Frémont - Francois; Francois Perrot - Maurice; Didier Benureau - 2nd Film Director; Christiane Jean - Wife of Marc-Antoine; Claude Aufaure; Stephane Boucher - Journalist; Jacques Boudet - Craven; Philippe Clevenot - Producer; Anouk Ferjac - Mother in clinic; Maxime Lombard; Jean Rougerie - Forensic scientist; Jean-Michel Dupuis; Jacques Chailleux - Machinist; Laurent Gamelon; Vincent Grass; Yves Renier - Robert, the guard; Fabienne Tricottet; Jacques Seiler - Inspector; Michel Berto - Banker
Credit
Jacqueline Bouchard - Costume Designer, Bertrand Blier - Director, Claudine Merlin - Editor, Jacques Brel - Composer (Music Score), David Byrne - Composer (Music Score), Philip Glass - Composer (Music Score), Marie Thumas - Composer (Music Score), Joel Lavau - Makeup, Théo Meurisse - Production Designer, Philippe Rousselot - Cinematographer, Georges Demetreau - Special Effects, Raph Salis - Special Effects, Philippe Hubin - Special Effects, Pierre Gamet - Sound/Sound Designer, Bertrand Blier - Screenwriter, Bernard Marescot - Production Director, Ludwig van Beethoven - Featured Music, Fryderyc Chopin - Featured Music, György Ligeti - Featured Music, Giacomo Puccini - Featured Music, Antonio Vivaldi - Featured Music, Arno - Featured Music, François-Adrien Boieldieu - Featured Music, Frédéric Auburtin - Assistant Director, Luc Goldenberg - Assistant Director, Philippe Chapus - Assistant Director, Hiromi Rollin - Assistant Director
Merci la vie is a 1991 French film directed and written by Bertrand Blier. It won the César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and was nominated for Best Film, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Writing and Best Editing.
Plot
Naive schoolgirl Camille Pelleveau meets the slightly older and more experienced Joëlle, a promiscuous woman who has just been thrown out of a car by her abusive boyfriend. Camille follows Joëlle as they go on a rampage where she discovers sex as they pick up men. Joëlle also shows Camille the darker side of life, as they start by crashing the men's cars and then decide to take on the whole town. However, medical researcher Dr. Marc Antoine Worms has invented a sexually transmitted disease and used Joëlle as a guinea pig by infecting her with it, so that he could become famous as the discoverer of its cure. Camille eventually learns about AIDS and fears she may have contracted the disease.
The story involves flashbacks, and in one sequence we learn that Camille's parents are feuding. Illogically, she tries to persuade them to reunite long enough for her conception to take place.
