La Vieille qui marchait dans la mer (1991)
Directed by Laurent Heynemann

Film Review

An indefinable mélange of comedy, romance and thriller, La Vieille qui marchait dans la mer is a strangely ambiguous work, one that leaves a great deal to the imagination of its viewer - and that's only part of its appeal. It is a film that dares to tackle one of the great cinematic taboos of our time, growing old and dying, and does so with a welcome dose of humour. Michael Haneke's Amour (2012) covers the same territory with gruelling realism; Laurent Heynemann's film does so more gently, without losing sight of the underlying tragedy - a spirit that yearns to go on living whilst the physical shell that contains it withers and dies.

Heynemann has directed surprisingly few films for the cinema, having devoted most of his career to television. He courted controversy with his first feature, an attack on the tactics employed by the French military during the Algerian War entitled La Question (1977), and he followed this up with a number of fairly mundane dramas before migrating to television. La Vieille qui marchait dans la mer is one of his more interesting films, and not only because it has in its lead role one of the divas of the French New Wave, Jeanne Moreau, behaving as badly as a woman of her advanced years can be expected to.

Moreau's portrayal of Lady M is as moving as it is repulsive.  Through one of her strongest screen performances (one which earned her the best actress César in 1992), Moreau manages to evoke a whole range of emotions.  If her character's treatment of her past lover Pompilius is disgusting, her exploitation of her young protégé is nothing less than the product of truly sick and twisted mind.  Yet, through her moments of self-reflection, Lady M is shown to be a tragic figure who deserves our pity.  Bereft of love, drained of passion, all she can do is fantasise.  It is a poignant reminder of the fate that awaits all of us.

The film's quirky style is, however, somewhat difficult to come to grips with.  Although the plot has a strong romantic element, this film's construction masks this and the dominant impression if that of a mediocre thriller, strong on originality but lacking in direction.  This is almost certainly a reflection of its director Laurent Heynemann's inclination to the thriller genre.

Whilst the script, which Heynemann co-wrote with popular crime writer Frédéric Dard, is generally well-written, the excessive use of invective and vulgarities will doubtless put off many viewers and could easily offend.  The film's main fault however is its abrupt and totally unsatisfying ending.  Just when the film appeared to be heading towards a gripping, deeply moving ending it just stops.  This is a shame because in many ways La Vieille qui marchait dans la mer is a bold and original piece of cinema.

Film Synopsis

Lady M spends her retirement by the sea, in which she wades every day to assuage her rheumatism.  She lives with her former companion, an ex-diplomat, Pompilius, and although they taunt and harangue each other, they share a close friendship.  Then, whilst on holiday in Guadeloupe, Lady M is drawn to a young beach boy, Lambert.  She adopts him as her protégé and he agrees to assist her in her life of crime.  Lady M is in truth a master criminal with an unquenchable desire for adventure and luxury.  She also believes that Lambert may fulfil her more intimate desires, to the chagrin of her devoted Pompilius...