Tatie Danielle (1990) - film review

At first glance, Danielle Billard appears such a respectable nice old lady, but those who know her well live in fear, for she is the most mischievous of souls.  When her housekeeper, whom she has tormented for years, dies in an accident, she accepts an offer from her nephew to live with him and his family in Paris.  Madame Billard repays this gesture of kindness by transforming the lives of her nephew and his wife, a beautician, into a living Hell.  When her exasperated relatives decide to take a holiday in Greece, Tatie Danielle is horrified at the prospect of being left behind.  An au pair, Sandrine, is hired to look after her, but Danielle’s naughty streak is about to go into overdrive…

Director Étienne Chatiliez followed the success of his first film, La Vie est un long fleuve tranquille (1988), with this equally original and off-the-wall black comedy.  Tsilla Chelton gives an absolutely sublime performance as the ageing Tatie Danielle, who, despite the cruelty she inflicts on all around her, never fails to win our sympathy.  Whilst the situation may be exaggerated for the purposes of entertainment, the film does touch on some real life concerns which are of great relevance to a society that doesn’t really known how to cope with old people and the process of ageing.

The film’s winning ace is the pairing of Isabelle Nanty (Sandrine) with Tsilla Chelton (Danielle) – something which gives the film a note of acrid poignancy and drives home the point that sugary sentimentality is no substitute for true human feeling.  Tatie Danielle is a tragic character who is more sad than bad; her actions are merely a reaction to the rejection and isolation she has experienced since the death of her beloved husband.  Sandrine is her counterpart from a different generation.   They recognise in each other their own malaise and have what it takes to salve each other’s wounds.  Of course, to an outsider, all this appears highly comical, so we can’t help laughing.  But it is laughter tinged with sadness, for Tatie Danielle may be the future that awaits each one of us.

© James Travers 2005

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