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La Boum
1980 Comedy / Drama / Romance
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Credits
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Director: Claude Pinoteau
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Script: Danièle Thompson, Claude Pinoteau
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Photo: Edmond Séchan
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Music: Vladimir Cosma
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Cast: Claude Brasseur (François Beretton),
Brigitte Fossey (Françoise Beretton),
Sophie Marceau (Vic Beretton),
Denise Grey (Poupette),
Sheila O'Connor (Pénélope Fontanet),
Alexandre Sterling (Mathieu),
Alexandra Gonin (Samantha Fontanet),
Bernard Giraudeau (Eric,
le professeur d’allemand),
Dominique Lavanant (Vanessa),
Jean-Michel Dupuis (Étienne),
Frédéric de Pasquale,
Richard Bohringer
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Country: France
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Language: French
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Runtime: 110 min
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Aka: Ready for Love; The Party
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Summary
Newly installed in Paris with her parents, fourteen-year old Vic is more than ready for
her first taste of love. At a party, she meets Mathieu, and it’s love at first
sight. From that moment, her sole preoccupation is to spend a night with him.
Knowing where this first fling is likely to end, Vic’s liberal-minded grandmother
Poupette lends a helping hand, contriving to bring Vic and Mathieu together during a stay
in Deauville. Meanwhile, Vic’s parents are having their own emotional
crises. Vic’s father, François, a dentist, is lured by an old flame,
Vanessa, into spending a “last night” together. When she learns about
this, Vic’s mother, Françoise, a strip cartoon artist, takes her revenge
– by starting an affair with Vic’s German teacher. As her parents teeter
on the brink of an acrimonious separation, Vic realises that Mathieu may not be the one
for her after all…
Review
Although it is hardly groundbreaking material, La Boum
is one of those inconsequential French romantic comedies which you cannot help
falling for. The film was an enormous commercial success when it was released
in 1980 and a sequel, imaginatively titled La Boum
2, was soon put into production. Sympathetic performances from Claude Brasseur
and Brigitte Fossey bring a touch of humour and poignancy to their portrayal of a familiar
marital breakdown, but the real star of the film is a young debutante named Sophie Marceau.
The film effectively captures the many moods of teenage puppy love, thanks to some good
acting and good scripting, skilfully avoiding the tacky sentimentality that is so evident
in American films of this genre.
© James Travers 2004
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