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Arnaud Desplechin, a filmmaker widely celebrated as a quintessential French auteur, has consistently found a profound wellspring of inspiration in the landscape of American cinema. This deep-seated influence is palpable in his latest emotionally resonant melodrama, "Two Pianos," which recently graced American screens with its U.S. premiere at the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema festival, hosted at Film at Lincoln Center. The film, a complex tapestry of desire, regret, and unspoken longing, serves as a testament to Desplechin’s enduring fascination with the narrative and stylistic currents of Hollywood filmmaking.
"My cinephilia mainly comes from America," Desplechin shared with Variety during his New York visit for the film’s premiere. He identifies himself as belonging to the generation that came of age with the groundbreaking films of the New Hollywood era, specifically citing the electrifying works of Martin Scorsese and Brian De Palma as formative experiences. "I was passionately in love with American cinema," he confessed, underscoring the profound impact these directors and their contemporaries had on his artistic development. This early immersion in American storytelling has clearly shaped his approach to character, theme, and visual language, even as he remains firmly rooted in the rich tradition of French cinema.
"Two Pianos," which has already garnered critical acclaim following its premieres at the Toronto and San Sebastián film festivals, features a compelling ensemble cast, including François Civil, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, and the legendary Charlotte Rampling. The narrative centers on Mathias Vogler, portrayed by Civil, a once-promising pianist who returns to France after years of voluntary exile in Japan. His reunion with his former mentor, Elena (Rampling), for a series of concerts becomes a catalyst for confronting a painful past, particularly his entanglement with Claude (Tereszkiewicz), a former lover who ultimately chose his closest friend. This intricate web of relationships and unresolved emotions forms the core of the film’s dramatic power.
Desplechin, a celebrated filmmaker renowned for his emotionally charged and introspective dramas often populated by a constellation of French acting talent, has a long and distinguished history with the Cannes Film Festival. The majority of his films have competed for the prestigious Palme d’Or, beginning with his feature debut, "La Sentinelle." His subsequent entries at Cannes have included acclaimed works such as "Merry Christmas," starring Catherine Deneuve, "Frère et Sœur," featuring Marion Cotillard and Melvil Poupaud, and "Jimmy P.," with Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric. This consistent presence at one of the world’s most important film festivals highlights his standing within the international cinematic community.
The genesis of "Two Pianos" itself reveals further layers of American influence. Desplechin disclosed that the film was initially conceived with an English working title, "An Affair," a deliberate nod to Leo McCarey’s iconic 1957 romantic classic, "An Affair to Remember." This choice of title immediately signals a thematic connection to grand, sweeping romantic narratives that have long been a hallmark of American filmmaking. Furthermore, Desplechin revealed his specific directorial guidance to François Civil regarding his portrayal of Mathias. "I told François Civil to rewatch ‘The Age of Innocence,’ especially Daniel Day-Lewis," he stated, referring to Martin Scorsese’s lavish adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel. "Everyone remembers Daniel Day-Lewis’ hands in that film – this man who is desperately in love but unable to act on it." This specific direction emphasizes Desplechin’s interest in exploring the nuances of unexpressed emotion and the quiet torment of unfulfilled desire, themes frequently explored in classic American cinema.
The screenplay for "Two Pianos" was a collaborative effort, initially penned in English with Kamen Velkovsky, who had previously partnered with Desplechin on "Jimmy P." Joining them was Ondine Lauriot dit Prévost, an emerging screenwriter and recent graduate of the esteemed La Fémis film school. Desplechin articulated his deliberate choice to work with a younger writer and a woman: "I wanted to work with someone younger than me, and also with a woman," he explained. While he cautioned against the simplistic notion that women inherently write better female characters, he emphasized the value of diverse perspectives in enriching the narrative. "But when the writing is mixed, when two different perspectives meet, the characters become richer." This approach underscores Desplechin’s commitment to a dynamic and collaborative writing process, aiming to generate characters with greater complexity and depth.
The writing sessions themselves were characterized by a spirited, almost competitive, exchange of ideas. Desplechin described the process as akin to a "creative duel," where he and Lauriot dit Prévost would independently draft scenes before comparing their work. "We would sit with our computers and write the same scene separately. Then we compared. Ondine would say, ‘The Mathias scene is for me,’ and I would say, ‘No, the Claude scene is for me.’" This playful yet intense back-and-forth suggests a fertile creative environment where individual strengths and creative impulses were channeled into a unified vision.
It was not until the film reached the editing room that Desplechin fully grasped the profound emotional weight of the melodrama he had crafted. "When I arrived in the editing room, I suddenly realized how lonely all the characters were," he reflected. "Each of them is alone in their own life. They come together almost to rub their solitude against one another." This realization highlights a key aspect of Desplechin’s filmmaking – his ability to imbue his characters with a palpable sense of isolation and inner turmoil, even as they navigate complex interpersonal relationships.
Desplechin consciously avoided constructing a conventional melodrama. The film’s structure, divided into two distinct chapters, reflects this deliberate departure. The first part focuses on the relationship between Mathias and Elena, establishing a sense of mystery and perhaps even a touch of the spectral. The narrative then transitions to explore the fraught dynamic between Mathias and Claude. Desplechin attributes this structural duality to Velkovsky’s significant input into the script, noting that it contributed to the film’s distinctive tone. "In the first part, there’s something mysterious, almost fantastic. There are ghosts lingering in the story. The film then turns into a melodrama, but the mystery continues to linger; it’s not just about feeling," he elaborated. This layered approach, blending melancholic romance with an undercurrent of unresolved mystery, creates a uniquely compelling cinematic experience.
François Civil’s performance as Mathias was particularly lauded by Desplechin. The actor managed to imbue the character’s inherent passivity with a sense of conscious emotional choice. "I told him the character was passive, and François answered: ‘Every moment Mathias chooses to suffer for someone else, that’s his action.’ I thought that was beautiful," Desplechin recalled with evident admiration. This interpretation reframes Mathias’s suffering not as a passive state but as an active, albeit painful, form of agency, adding a significant layer of psychological complexity to the character.
Nadia Tereszkiewicz, who plays Claude, is another performer Desplechin holds in high regard, and her international profile is set to soar with her upcoming role in the fourth season of Mike White’s critically acclaimed HBO anthology series, "The White Lotus," which is slated to begin filming in St. Tropez. In "Two Pianos," Tereszkiewicz delivers a nuanced portrayal of a woman caught between two men, ultimately finding a form of emancipation through her grief. Desplechin is effusive in his praise for her talent: "Nadia has an extraordinary photogenic quality. She has light in her. She has this rage to perform and a generosity with directors. There are actors who could end up crushed by ‘The White Lotus’ experience, but it will carry her because she has what it takes to last." His confidence in her enduring career underscores his keen eye for emerging talent and his belief in Tereszkiewicz’s profound artistic capabilities.
Looking ahead, Desplechin is already immersed in the preparation of his next project, an English-language bittersweet comedy titled "The Thing That Hurts." This film, also penned with Kamen Velkovsky, is set in Paris and promises to offer a fresh perspective on expatriate life. "This one is truly a comedy, a bittersweet comedy. It’s about expats in Paris. Something a little like ‘Midnight in Paris,’" Desplechin explained, drawing a comparison to Woody Allen’s beloved romantic fantasy.
"The Thing That Hurts" will weave together multiple interconnected narratives, featuring seven characters whose lives converge through their relationship with a psychoanalyst. The international cast is envisioned to include a French actor, two British actors, and four American actors, further underscoring Desplechin’s expanding global reach. He playfully likened the structure to classic ensemble narratives: "There are seven stories. Like ‘Seven Samurai’ or ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’ And in the middle there is the queen – the psychoanalyst," he said with a chuckle, highlighting the central role of the analyst in connecting the various threads of the story.
Desplechin’s contribution to the screenplay involved drawing from his extensive personal knowledge of humorous psychoanalysis anecdotes and encounters. Velkovsky, in turn, infused the script with his deep appreciation for American comedy. "Kamen loves Billy Wilder, Woody Allen, that whole tradition of American comedy, so when we worked together on the script, he asked me to tell stories – stories about psychoanalysis, stories about people I’ve met – and he turned them into narrative." This synthesis of Desplechin’s observational humor and Velkovsky’s mastery of comedic structure suggests a film that will be both intellectually stimulating and genuinely funny. The project is being produced by Charles Gillibert’s CG Cinema, Alaz Film, 3six9 Studio, and Wrong Men, and is slated to commence filming shortly.
For Desplechin, the increasing engagement with English-language filmmaking is not an abandonment of his French roots but rather an expansion of his artistic dialogue with the cinema that has so profoundly shaped him. It also allows him to tap into a wider pool of acting talent and explore different cultural landscapes. "I know American and British actors very well. It’s another culture that interests me a lot, and I thought to myself: It would be nice to invite Anglo-Saxon actors to make a French comedy with me in Paris," he stated. He further elaborated on his motivations: "I’m very happy to make films in France, it suits me very well, but I love American actors so much, I love American comedies. If I can make a film in Paris that has a little bit of ‘Notting Hill,’ then I’m happy." This aspiration to blend the charm and wit of classic romantic comedies with the unique atmosphere of Paris reflects a desire to create films that resonate universally while retaining a distinct European sensibility.
Desplechin also observes a unique receptiveness within American audiences for discovering cinema from beyond their borders. This has been a recurring theme during his visits to events like the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema and the New York Film Festival. "American audiences say, ‘What do you have to tell me? Surprise me,’" Desplechin noted. "There is a curiosity for cinema there that I find extraordinary." This appreciation for the adventurous spirit of American filmgoers fuels his desire to continue sharing his stories and his distinct cinematic vision with them, reinforcing the idea that cinema, in its purest form, transcends geographical and linguistic boundaries.