And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen... (2002)

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And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen... (2002)

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And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen... (2002)

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Without question, this is a stupid title for a movie. Fortunately, the title is the only thing about Claude Lelouch's film that could aptly be described by that adjective. And Now… Ladies and Gentlemen is an adult love story that uses fantasy sequences, misdirection, and flashbacks to tell a linear tale in a distinctly non-linear fashion. By employing these narrative techniques, Lelouch relates a simple story in a deliberately complex manner, thereby heightening the interest level. And, rather than just exploring the developing romance between French chanteuse Jane Lester (Patricia Kaas) and British con-man and burglar Valentin Valentin (Jeremy Irons), the director throws in a subplot that is more than vaguely reminiscent of To Catch a Thief.

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Jane and Valentin, who are both subject to unexplained blackouts, find themselves at the same hotel in Morocco. Jane is a lounge singer there; Valentin is a guest - he ended up in Morocco when a boat he was sailing around the world was involved in an accident off the coast. She's a floater, looking for something. He's running away from a marriage that has lost its luster because he and his wife have simply grown apart. (In fact, the wife has now become involved with Valentin's best friend.) A jewel heist occurs at the hotel and the inspector (Amidou) immediately suspects Valentin because of his checkered past. Jane, despite not really knowing him, gives him an alibi for the night in question. After that, the two spend some time together and decide to make a pilgrimage to the burial place of a legendary magic woman in the hope that it will cure their ailment. Valentin is skeptical, preferring to place his trust in CAT scans and pills, but he agrees to the trek in order to spend the time in Jane's company.

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Director Claude Lelouch is probably best-known for his 1966 film A Man and a Woman, and, as was the case in that movie, the romance here is not rushed. The characters get to know each other with no assurance that a romance will follow. Of course, a key coincidence is involved - that both of these people, suffering from the same rare disorder, should meet in an unlikely place, but, considering the kinds of plot contortions most recent Hollywood films have forced viewers to swallow, this hardly seems unreasonable. The two leads connect nicely. This is the most relaxed Jeremy Irons has seems in a long, long time, and newcomer Kass is sexy and charismatic. And Now… Ladies and Gentlemen goes against the Hollywood standard of having young characters in a love story. Valentin and Jane are both middle-aged.

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The movie starts out in a confusing fashion, with much crissing and crossing between Jane and Valentin, and numerous flashbacks thrown in to obfuscate the time line. Some sequences have the color desaturated to the point where they're almost monochromatic, and others feature a single black-and-white character in an otherwise color frame. The point of all this - although we don't figure it out until later - is to present the world from the lead characters' perspectives. Lelouch has elected to give viewers a taste of how they see the world, with gaps in their recent memories and a sense of fragmented continuity. Eventually, everything falls into place and Lelouch's storytelling becomes more conventional, although he enjoys interjecting dream and/or fantasy sequences into the narrative as if they are reality. Consequently, especially near the end, we're not sure whether what we're seeing is real or not. In a way, it's a little like what François Ozon did in the recent Swimming Pool.

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The film's To Catch a Thief-inspired subplot, which questions whether Valentin has returned to his criminal ways or whether he is in the wrong place at the wrong time, is weak and distracting. When we would rather concentrate on Valentin's burgeoning relationship with Jane, the movie separates them so he can be questioned by the police. There's not much genuine mystery or intrigue here, and the purpose seems to be to vary the tone and inject a little variety. It's not needed - the story of this man and this woman is enough to keep viewers engaged. The core relationship is what makes the movie with this ill-advised title a well-advised choice.

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And Now Ladies and Gentlemen captures from the start–artistic, well- written, well-directed, and underscored with the rich, languid jazz of Patricia Kaas who will surely become more accessible to Americans with this film.

The love story is first degree, without Hollywood schmaltz. Starting with Jeremy Irons delicious tricks of thievery, segueing to Patricia Kaas's nightclub duet and solos, the director moves us seamlessly from one character to the other. We discover them–who they are, what they suffer, and how they will meet and connect.

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The director's brilliant use of Kaas's vocals to effortlessly glues these vignettes together becomes the film's best asset, beginning with them far apart, gradually moving these fascinating creatures closer and closer, until we can taste the sand and feel the parched, thirsty souls. Destiny builds from a dream to filmy reality. Irresistible. Intimate. Broad and beautiful.

The score haunts you for weeks. A must see–must own.

IMDB Reviewer

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And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen... (2002)

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