‘Nelly & Mr. Arnaud‘ released in 1995 is the last film directed by Claude Sautet. Reading about it I found it many times compared to his previous film, ‘Un Coeur en Hiver‘ from 1992 and the result of the comparison is in almost all cases favorable to the older film. I personally found them to be at about the same level, and with many common points between them. One of them is of course the presence in the female lead role of Emmanuelle Béart, an actress who combines physical with inner beauty, radiating optimism, kindness, but also fragility through her fascinating eyes. At the time these films were made, she was young but already quite experienced, having grown as an actress under the guidance of directors such as Sautet but also Claude Berri or Ettore Scola. But ‘Nelly & Mr. Arnaud’ has a quality in addition to other films by Sautet. Love triangles are no longer the main concern (although they are not completely absent), but another theme is addressed, always delicate and always interesting – that of the possibility of love relationships between elderly men and women much younger than them. The understated, sensitive and intelligent approach of this film makes it survive well 27 years since its release, years in which so much has happened both on the screens and in the entertainment industry.
The story takes place in the bourgeois-intellectual Parisian environment of the last decade of the 20th century. Everyone seems to frequent the same restaurants, cafes and parties, but not everyone is wealthy, the economic differences are actually quite stiff. Nelly is a young woman mired in debt and in a marriage that is failing because of a husband who prefers to stay at home and do nothing. Mr. Arnaud is an old man, handsome and aging beautifully, a former diplomat and businessman, for whom money seems not to be a problem. They meet through a common acquaintance and Arnaud offers her a loan repayable “when and if you can” that can relieve her of material worries and give her the opportunity for a new start, which begins with the divorce. Nelly will work (‘without obligation’) as typist, critic and editor of Mr. Arnaud’s memoirs. A relationship develops between the two in which the initial generosity turns into friendship which in turn turns into attraction – an attraction that is never consumed in more than looks, but looks that say it all. Age difference, social background, mutual respect combine in the story of a relationship that avoids turning into love in the sense we know.
Most French films set in intellectual settings are very verbose, and ‘Nelly & Mr. Arnaud‘ is no exception. The dialogues, however, are subtle and discreet, but at the same time expressive, building the relationships between the heroes and gradually revealing their characters. Such a delicate subject also demands a good text and an adequate interpretation. The actors chosen and directed by Claude Sautet seemed perfect to me. Emmanuelle Béart uses her beauty to build a complex character whose decisions we understand, even when we know or feel they are not in her best interest. Michel Serrault achieves here one of the best roles of his career, bringing to the fore dignity in the face of irremediable advancing age. Also in the cast is Michael Lonsdale, an actor I really like, in a mysterious supporting role inserted to bridge the (apparently) venerable aristocrat Arnaud had become with his shady past.
I don’t know if Claude Sautet knew that this would be his last film. It seemed to me a synthesis of the evolution of a filmmaker who understood the relationships between people and brought to the screen discreet and rarely happy stories of seldom shared love. Stylistically we can observe the combination of traditional French cinema, with its permanent concern for the intellectual and bourgeois classes, and the techniques introduced by the New Wave. A good quarter of the film takes place in cafes and restaurants, there are also quite a few scenes shot on the streets of Paris. All beautiful, well constructed, expressive. With ‘Nelly & Mr. Arnaud‘ Claude Sautet concludes his career with one of his best films.