Day 8. Suzanne (2013)

Suzanne

Trailer 

https://youtu.be/uFATdEHeTfA

Rent or buy the movie from Youtube


Year

2013

Director

Katell Quillévéré

Synopsis

The story of a destiny.
Suzanne’s and her family’s.
The ties that bind them, keep them together, and the love she pursues... to the point of leaving everything behind.

Honours/Awards

• Adèle: Winner César De La Meilleure Actrice Dans Un Second Rôle
• Film D’ouverture De La Semaine De La Critique Cannes 2013
• Nomination: Sara Forestier, nominated for Best Actress César
• Nomination: François Damiens, nominated for Best Supporting Actor César
• Nomination: Paul Hamy, nominated for Most Promising Actor César
• Nomination: Katell Quillévéré & Mariette Désert for Best Original Screenplay César

Adèle’s role

Maria, sister of the Suzanne, of the film’s title.

Excerpts from reviews

“Haenel (‘Water Lilies’) has great chemistry with Forestier as the less reckless, more responsible of the siblings..”

https://variety.com/2013/film/global/cannes-film-review-suzanne-1200480612/

“…there is an equally impressive performance from Adele Haenel as the adult Maria, a woman who remains a loyal and loving sister through everything that happens.”

https://www.screendaily.com/suzanne/5056237.article

“…The performances slay you: Damiens, in a portrait of intense paternal love, worry and dismay; Haenel, a guarded wonder…”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10694942/Suzanne-review.html

Comments

It was when accepting the award for best supporting actress for this role that Adèle spoke of her love for Céline. At the time it went pretty much unnoticed by the French media.

Acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress César for her role in Suzanne

Her statement of love for Céline went largely unnoticed at the time...

Adèle Haenel, César 2014 de la Meilleure Actrice dans un Second Rôle dans SUZANNE from Académie des César on Vimeo.

Katell Quillévér, Director on casting Adèle

Katell Quillévéré: “I had seen Adèle in Les Diables by Christophe Ruggia. The film had a big impact on me, in part thanks to this little girl… She immediately entered my imagination. I found her in Naissance de Pieuvres, where I discovered her as a young girl. It was decisive. I met her for the first time during the casting of Suzanne. I saw few actresses because I had a fairly precise idea of those that interested me. For her character, Maria, Suzanne's sister, I only saw her, Adèle. I guessed her strong and powerful, I had the intuition that I could trust her.”

https://www.telerama.fr/cinema/elle-s-abandonne-tout-en-proposant-adele-haenel-racontee-par-katell-quillevere,115818.php

Interview with Adele after receiving the award [EN subs]

Rewatch Comments

Adèle's performances in the films we have already watched and the Shooting Star Award set her up for more film offers—and she made the most of her opportunities.

I feel that I'm just repeating myself, but Adèle is fabulous in Suzanne. However, this view is validated by her winning the Best Supporting Actress César for her performance in this role—so I am right! Early in the film Adèle gets to wear some rather trashy outfits and makeup, and the character becomes more attractive as she grows up. Like in Déchainées, she plays a sister magnificently. There is a scene reminiscent of Déchainées, where she breathes into her sister's face after being told that she smells of booze (in Déchainées it is her little screen-sister who does this to her). This is the first film since Naissance des Pieuvres that we get to see Adèle dance—the woman can move!

I find this film quite frustrating and the character of Suzanne very annoying, as Suzanne makes one selfish and poor decision after the other, and leaves it to others to deal with the devastation she wreaks... However, I think a film is successful when it manipulates your emotions, so it does its job very successfully. The quality of acting in the film was recognised, with each of the four main actors being nominated for a César award (and the screenplay also nominated for a César).

Winning a César award is clearly a massive achievement and this was on top of Adèle's 2012 Shooting Star Award. At the tender age of 24 she had won a César—the most prestigious film award in her nation.