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Suite Française (film)

April 17, 2023

Suite Française is a 2015 war romantic drama film directed by Saul Dibb and co-written with Matt Charman. It is based on the second part of Irène Némirovsky's 2004 novel of the same name. The film stars Michelle Williams, Kristin Scott Thomas, Matthias Schoenaerts, Sam Riley, Ruth Wilson, Lambert Wilson and Margot Robbie. It concerns a romance between a French villager and a German soldier during the early years of the German occupation of France. Suite Française was filmed on location in France and Belgium. It was released theatrically in the UK on 13 March 2015 and premiered in the US through Lifetime cable network on 22 May 2017. The film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition.

Suite Française
UK release poster
Directed bySaul Dibb
Screenplay by
Based onSuite française
by Irène Némirovsky
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyEduard Grau
Edited byChris Dickens
Music byRael Jones
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 13 March 2015 (2015-03-13) (United Kingdom)
  • 1 April 2015 (2015-04-01) (France)
Running time
107 minutes[2]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • Belgium
Languages
  • English
  • German
Budget€15 million ($20 million)[3]
Box office$9.3 million[1]

Plot

In German-occupied France, Lucile Angellier (Michelle Williams) and her domineering mother-in-law Madame Angellier (Kristin Scott Thomas) await news of her husband Gaston, who was serving in the French Army. While visiting tenants, Lucile and Madame Angellier escape an air raid by German Ju 87 stuka bombers. Following the French surrender, a regiment of German soldiers arrives, and promptly moves into the homes of the villagers.

Wehrmacht Oberleutnant Bruno von Falk (Matthias Schoenaerts) is billeted at the Angelliers' household. Lucile tries to ignore Bruno but is charmed by his kind demeanor and his piano music. He gives her a piece of the sheet music. Lucile later learns that her husband Gaston's unit has been imprisoned at a German labor camp. Elsewhere, the farmer Benoit (Sam Riley) and his wife Madeleine (Ruth Wilson) chafe under the German officer Kurt Bonnet (Tom Schilling), who harasses Madeleine. Benoit, who was denied the chance to fight because of his leg wound, hides a rifle. As an act of resistance, he steals the German soldiers' clothes while they are bathing.

When Lucile discovers that one of her mother-in-law's tenants Celine (Margot Robbie) is having sex with a German soldier, Celine reveals that Gaston has been having an extramarital affair and has fathered a girl named Simone. Angry with Madame Angellier for withholding her son's affair, Lucile allows herself to develop romantic feelings for Bruno. At Lucile's request, Bruno confronts Kurt over his harassment. Lucile's relationship with Bruno draws the hostility of many of the townfolk.

The Viscountess de Monfort (Harriet Walter) later catches Benoit stealing a chicken from her coop. When Benoit points a gun at her, she tells her husband, the collaborationist Viscount de Monfort (Lambert Wilson), who sends German soldiers after Benoit. While hiding in a barn, Benoit kills Kurt with his gun and flees into the forest.

The Germans launch a manhunt and give the townsfolk 48 hours to surrender Benoit. The German Major (Heino Ferch) takes the Viscount hostage and threatens to execute him if Benoit is not found. At Madeleine's request, Lucile hides Benoit in the attic of the Angellier mansion with the help of the reluctant Madame Angellier. Despite a massive manhunt, the Germans fail to capture Benoit and the Viscount is executed by firing squad.

With the Germans planning to withdraw from the town, Lucile takes part in a plan to smuggle Benoit into Paris, where the French Resistance is gathering. She manages to convince Bruno to issue her a travel pass to Paris. However, Bruno's suspicious orderly suspects that Lucile is harboring Benoit and issues special instructions for the checkpoint guards to search her car.

At the checkpoint, Benoit manages to shoot the German soldiers dead with his pistol but is wounded in the shoulder. Bruno arrives on a motorcycle. Lucile faces him with her pistol but is unable to kill him. To Lucile's relief, Bruno helps her lift the wounded Benoit into the car and allows them to escape to Paris. As she drives away, Lucile smiles at Bruno in gratitude. Lucile and Benoit later join the French resistance and help drive out the Germans. While Lucile later learns that Bruno perished during the war, she treasures the memory of his musical score Suite Française.

Cast

Production

Conception and adaptation

On 9 November 2006, Michael Fleming from Variety reported that the rights to Irène Némirovsky's novel Suite Française (written during the Nazi occupation of France but published posthumously in 2004) had been acquired by Universal Pictures.[4] Irene was a novelist, murdered during the Holocaust, in Auschwitz. Her works were expected to have been created within the war years erworks Ronald Harwood, who wrote the script for The Pianist, was set to write the screenplay, with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall producing the film.[4] The following year, TF1 Droits Audiovisuels acquired the rights to the novel from publisher Éditions Denoël.[3] The novel was adapted for the screen by Saul Dibb and Matt Charman, with Dibb directing.[3]

In 2013, the film, produced by France's TF1 Droits Audiovisuels and UK's Entertainment One, was given a budget of €15 million ($20 million). Mick Brown of The Daily Telegraph noted this was "big by European, if not American, standards".[5] In May 2013, it was reported that Suite Française would be a co-production between France, U.K. and Belgium, with Xavier Marchand, Romain Bremond, Michael Kuhn and Andrea Cornwell producing the film along with American Harvey Weinstein of The Weinstein Company serving as the executive producer.[6]

Dibb focused his adaptation on book two of Némirovsky's novels, which explores the relationships between the French women and the German soldiers who occupied their village, in particular the story of Lucile Angellier. She is awaiting news of her husband, who went to war, when a German officer is billeted in her home.[7]

Dibb said

in the making of the film I want to capture this strong sense of immediacy and authenticity. The action should feel that it's happening now – urgent, tense, spontaneous, made with no benefit of hindsight – like we've discovered a time capsule. And very far from a safe, stuffy period piece.[7]

Dibb used the account of the discovery of the manuscript of the novel by Némirovsky's daughter, Denise Epstein, to book-end the film.[7] Némirovsky's original manuscript is shown during the credits. Epstein died shortly before production began, but she read drafts of the script.[8]

Casting

Variety's Jeff Sneider reported in October 2012 that actress Michelle Williams was in talks to star in Suite Française as the protagonist Lucile Angellier.[9] Shortly after she joined the project, Kristin Scott Thomas was attached to appear as Lucile's "domineering" mother-in-law.[10] In an interview with Moviefone's Erin Whitney, Scott Thomas commented that the character was similar to herself.[11] Actor Matthias Schoenaerts joined the cast as Bruno, a German officer and Lucile's love interest in November 2012.[12]

On 14 June 2013, Dominic Patten from Deadline Hollywood reported that actor Sam Riley had joined the cast as a French soldier called Benoit.[13] Riley's wife Alexandra Maria Lara also joined the cast, along with fellow actresses Margot Robbie as Celine and Ruth Wilson as Madeleine.[14][15] Actors Tom Schilling and Lambert Wilson will also appear in the film as Kurt Bonnet and Viscount de Montmort respectively.[3][15] Harriet Walter has been cast as Viscountess de Montmort, while Eileen Atkins will appear as Denise Epstein and Cédric Maerckx as Gaston Angellier.[15]

Filming

 
Filming took place in Marville.

Principal photography commenced on 24 June 2013.[16] The shoot lasted until late August.[17] The cast and crew spent eight weeks shooting in Belgium and eight days in France.[17] From 10 July, filming took place in the village of Marville in the Meuse department.[18] In August, the cast and crew spent three-and-a-half weeks filming scenes in a house in Belgium. Dibb commented that the hot weather helped create "its own weird, uncomfortable, claustrophobic atmosphere which you hope is going to feed into the atmosphere of the scenes."[8] Leo Barraclough from Variety reported that principal photography was completed on 2 September 2013.[19]

Costumes and make-up

English costume designer Michael O'Connor, who previously worked with Dibb on The Duchess, designed and created the clothing for the film.[3] O'Connor used photographs, magazines and movies of the time to make the clothing and accessories as authentic as possible.[20] His major influences were Némirovsky's novel, which describes the clothing in detail, and Jean Renoir's 1939 film The Rules of the Game.[20] The costumes use authentic French fabrics from Paris.[20] The film's countryside setting led Jenny Shircore, the hair and make-up designer for the production,[19] to invoke a sense of sobriety in place of glamor.[20] Shircore used quite little make-up on Williams, who understood she must look quite "natural, simple, in a sense resigned."[20]

Music

French composer Alexandre Desplat was originally attached to compose the film's musical score.[21] Dibb wanted Bruno's piano piece to be composed before shooting began, and he wanted it to be played during the film as "a developing theme" and then at the end in its full form.[7] Desplat wrote Bruno's Theme, but was unable to write the final score for the entire film and was replaced by Rael Jones. Jones's score was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London.[22] Sony Classical released the soundtrack album on 16 March 2015.[23] It features original music composed by Jones, a piano piece composed by Desplat and songs performed by Lucienne Boyer, Josephine Baker and Rosita Serrano.[23] Dibb explained that music plays a crucial part in the film and called the score "subtle and atmospheric."[7]

Release

On 16 April 2013, it was reported that The Weinstein Company had pre-bought the U.S. distribution rights for the film.[24] On 19 May 2013, it was announced that The Weinstein Company would also handle the distribution rights in Latin America, Australia, Russia and Germany,[6][16] while Entertainment One would release the picture in the U.K., Spain and Canada.[6] The first trailer for the film was released on 24 October 2014.[25]

Suite Française had its world premiere at the Cinema UGC Normandie in Paris on 10 March 2015.[26][27] The film was originally scheduled to be released theatrically in the UK through Entertainment One on 23 January 2015,[28] but it was postponed to 13 March 2015,[29] and it was released on DVD on 27 July 2015.[30] It was released in France by UGC Distribution on April 20, 2015.

Although it had been acquired by The Weinstein Company, the film did not have a theatrical release in the US.[31] It was scheduled to premiere on Lifetime cable network on 10 October 2016,[32][33] but the release was postponed to 22 May 2017.[34][35][36][37]

Reception

Box office

Suite Française earned £503,928 upon its opening weekend in the United Kingdom. The film opened to 425 locations and landed at number four in the UK box office top ten.[38] The following week the film played at a further 21 screens and earned £268,607 for a total of £1,293,408. It fell three places to seven in the box office chart.[39] As of August 2015, Suite Française has earned over $9 million worldwide.[1]

Critical reception

The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 76% of 45 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.94/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Suite Française takes an understated approach to its period romance, which – along with strong performances from a talented cast – pays absorbing dividends."[40] Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 63 out of 100 based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[41] The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gave the film two stars out of five and likened the central love story to "a damp haddock on a slab".[42] He continued, "This adaptation of Irène Némirovsky's acclaimed bestseller about French folk collaborating with the Nazis is flabby, sugary – and passion-free."[42] Emma Dibdin from Digital Spy gave the film three stars and commented, "Suite Française works far better as the story of a community in flux than it does as a brooding romance, the shifting loyalties between villagers and soldiers escalating towards a somewhat compelling third act."[43]

Anna Smith from Empire rated the film "good" and said "Sterling performances lift the occasionally soapy storyline in this semi-successful adaptation."[44] Variety's Guy Lodge found the film "fusty but enjoyably old-fashioned", adding "iffy scripting decisions can't thwart the romantic allure of this handsomely crafted, sincerely performed wartime weeper."[45] Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Leslie Felperin's consensus was "[Suite Française] has sturdy production values, a tony cast and middlebrow tastefulness up the wazoo, but barely any soul, bite or genuine passion."[46]

The "Desire" trailer for Suite Française created by eOne Films International and Create Advertising London earned a nomination for Best Foreign Romance Trailer at the 16th Golden Trailer Awards.[47] Jones's score was nominated for the Public Choice Award at the 2015 World Soundtrack Awards.[48]

Film postscript

The film's postscript reads as follows: Suite Francaise was written in secret as the Nazis occupied France. It was never completed. In 1942 its author, Irene Nemirovsky, was arrested for being Jewish and died in Auschwitz. Her handwritten manuscript lay unread in a suitcase for nearly sixty years until it was discovered by her daughter. Suite Francaise was finally published in 2004 and became a worldwide bestseller. The daughter is quoted as saying:

"It is an extraordinary feeling to have brought my mother back to life. It shows the Nazis did not truly succeed in killing her. It is not vengeance, but it is a victory." - Denise Epstein-Dauple

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2015 British Screenwriters' Awards Outstanding Newcomer for British Feature Film Writing Matt Charman, Saul Dibb Nominated [49]
Golden Trailer Awards Best Foreign Romance Trailer Entertainment One, Create Advertising Group Nominated [50]
2017 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special (Original Dramatic Score) Rael Jones Nominated [51]
Online Film & Television Association Best Music in a Non-Series Rael Jones Nominated [52]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Suite Francaise". Box Office Mojo. from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Suite Française (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 11 November 2014. from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e Rosser, Michael (27 June 2013). "Suite Francaise shoot begins". Screendaily. from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  4. ^ a b Fleming, Michael (9 November 2006). "Checking into 'Suite'". Variety. from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  5. ^ Brown, Mick (7 March 2015). "Matthias Schoenaerts interview: 'I think cautious is boring. I want to be bad'". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Cannes: Weinstein Company Takes U.S. Rights to 'Suite Francaise'". The Hollywood Reporter. 19 May 2013. from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e Dibb, Saul (July 2012). "Suite Française – Intentions". TF1 International. from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  8. ^ a b Black, Claire (10 March 2015). "Saul Dibb on shooting his new film Suite Francaise". The Scotsman. from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  9. ^ Sneider, Jeff (10 October 2012). "Michelle Williams in talks for 'Suite Francaise'". Variety. from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  10. ^ Raup, Jordan (15 October 2013). "Kristin Scott Thomas Joins Michelle Williams In WWII Drama 'Suite Francaise'". The Film Stage. from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  11. ^ Whitney, Erin (17 July 2013). "'Only God Forgives': Kristin Scott Thomas on Playing an Evil Mother, Swearing On-Screen". Moviefone. from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  12. ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (23 November 2012). "'Rust And Bone' Star Matthias Schoenaerts Joining Michelle Williams In WWII Drama 'Suite Francaise'". theplaylist.net. from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  13. ^ Patten, Dominic (14 June 2013). "Sam Riley Set For 'Suite Française' With Michelle Williams". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  14. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (27 June 2013). "Margot Robbie, Ruth Wilson, Alexandra Maria Lara Join Weinstein Co.'s 'Suite Française'". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  15. ^ a b c . TF1 International. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  16. ^ a b . Entertainment One. 20 May 2013. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  17. ^ a b Daniels, Nia (28 May 2013). "Michelle Williams leads cast on WWII drama". KFTV.com. from the original on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  18. ^ Pradayrol, François (20 July 2013). "Culture – Rain of stars at Marville for the filming of a historical film". Le Républicain Lorrain (in French). from the original on 21 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
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  20. ^ a b c d e Palladini, Federica (5 March 2015). "French Suite: the costumes and the makeup of the film". Elle Italy (in Italian). from the original on 7 March 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  21. ^ Lopez, Kristen (27 June 2013). "Alexandre Desplat Scoring 'Suite Francaise' Starring Michelle Williams & Matthias Schoenaert". IndieWire. from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  22. ^ "Rael Jones Scoring Saul Dibb's 'Suite Francaise'". Film Music Reporter. 18 August 2014. from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  23. ^ a b "'Suite Francaise' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. 19 February 2015. from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  24. ^ "The Weinstein Company Booking 'Suite Francaise' With Michelle Williams & Matthias Schoenaerts". IndieWire. 16 April 2013. from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  25. ^ Armitage, Hugh (24 October 2014). "Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas in Suite Française trailer". Digital Spy. from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  26. ^ "SUITE FRANCAISE : World Premiere in Paris". TF1 International. 16 March 2015. from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  27. ^ "Michelle Williams attends the world premiere of 'Suite Francaise' at Cinema UGC Normandie on March 10, 2015 in Paris, France". Getty Images. 10 March 2015. from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  28. ^ "Watch: Michelle Williams & Matthias Schoenaerts Take On A Forbidden Love In First Trailer For 'Suite Francaise'". The Playlist. 23 October 2014. from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  29. ^ Hemrajani, Sara (20 November 2014). . Filmoria. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  30. ^ "Suite Francaise". BBC Films. from the original on 15 August 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  31. ^ "The Lost, Orphaned And Long-Delayed Projects Of Harvey Weinstein". IndieWire. 20 August 2015. from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  32. ^ "Fall Into Lifetime's October Movies". The Futon Critic. 13 September 2016. from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  33. ^ "Is 'Suite Francaise' A True Story? The Movie Has A Tragic Backstory". Bustle. 10 October 2016. from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  34. ^ "Lifetime's premieres – Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland / Menendez: Blood Brothers / Suite Française / Little Women: Atlanta: Monie Gets Married / Catastrophe". A+E Networks. 5 May 2017. from the original on 27 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  35. ^ "Weinstein's 'Suite Francaise' Lands On Lifetime: Michelle Williams-Matthias Schoenaerts WWII Romance Gets Airdate". Deadline Hollywood. 10 May 2017. from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  36. ^ "Suite Française". Lifetime. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  37. ^ "The Weinstein Company Are Dumping 'Suite Francaise' Starring Michelle Williams & Matthias Schoenaerts On Lifetime". The Playlist. 10 May 2017. from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  38. ^ Grant, Charles (17 March 2015). "Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel outruns Liam Neeson at UK box office". The Guardian. from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  39. ^ Gant, Charles (24 March 2015). "Home sweet at UK box office while older children rush to Insurgent". The Guardian. from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  40. ^ "Suite Française (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  41. ^ "Suite Française Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  42. ^ a b Bradshaw, Peter (12 March 2015). "Suite Française review – Michelle Williams sleepwalks through wartime". The Guardian. from the original on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  43. ^ Dibdin, Emma (13 March 2015). "Suite Francaise review: Michelle Williams stars in a rote war romance". Digital Spy. from the original on 14 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  44. ^ Smith, Anna. "Suite Francaise". Empire. from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  45. ^ Lodge, Guy (10 March 2015). "Film Review: 'Suite francaise'". Variety. from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  46. ^ Felperin, Leslie (10 March 2015). "'Suite Francaise': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  47. ^ . Golden Trailer Awards. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  48. ^ "Public Choice voting". World Soundtrack Academy. from the original on 8 August 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  49. ^ "The British Screenwriters' Awards 2015 #LondonSWF". London Screenwriters' Festival. 26 October 2015. from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  50. ^ "Nominees For 16th Annual Golden Trailer Awards Revealed As The Entertainment Industry Celebrates The Best In Motion Picture Trailers And Television Marketing". PR Newswire. 10 April 2015. from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  51. ^ "Emmys 2017: Full List of Nominations". Variety. 13 July 2017. from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  52. ^ "21st Annual TV Awards (2016-17)". Online Film & Television Association. from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

External links

April 17, 2023
suite, française, film, suite, française, 2015, romantic, drama, film, directed, saul, dibb, written, with, matt, charman, based, second, part, irène, némirovsky, 2004, novel, same, name, film, stars, michelle, williams, kristin, scott, thomas, matthias, schoe. Suite Francaise is a 2015 war romantic drama film directed by Saul Dibb and co written with Matt Charman It is based on the second part of Irene Nemirovsky s 2004 novel of the same name The film stars Michelle Williams Kristin Scott Thomas Matthias Schoenaerts Sam Riley Ruth Wilson Lambert Wilson and Margot Robbie It concerns a romance between a French villager and a German soldier during the early years of the German occupation of France Suite Francaise was filmed on location in France and Belgium It was released theatrically in the UK on 13 March 2015 and premiered in the US through Lifetime cable network on 22 May 2017 The film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition Suite FrancaiseUK release posterDirected bySaul DibbScreenplay bySaul Dibb Matt CharmanBased onSuite francaiseby Irene NemirovskyProduced byRomain Bramons Andrea Cornwell Michael Kuhn Xavier MarchandStarringMichelle Williams Kristin Scott Thomas Matthias Schoenaerts Sam Riley Ruth Wilson Margot Robbie Lambert WilsonCinematographyEduard GrauEdited byChris DickensMusic byRael JonesProductioncompaniesThe Weinstein Company TF1 Films Production Entertainment One BBC Films Qwerty FilmsDistributed byEntertainment One United Kingdom UGC Distribution France Kinepolis Film Distribution Belgium 1 Release dates13 March 2015 2015 03 13 United Kingdom 1 April 2015 2015 04 01 France Running time107 minutes 2 CountriesUnited Kingdom France BelgiumLanguagesEnglish GermanBudget 15 million 20 million 3 Box office 9 3 million 1 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Conception and adaptation 3 2 Casting 3 3 Filming 3 4 Costumes and make up 3 5 Music 4 Release 5 Reception 5 1 Box office 5 2 Critical reception 6 Film postscript 7 Accolades 8 References 9 External linksPlot EditIn German occupied France Lucile Angellier Michelle Williams and her domineering mother in law Madame Angellier Kristin Scott Thomas await news of her husband Gaston who was serving in the French Army While visiting tenants Lucile and Madame Angellier escape an air raid by German Ju 87 stuka bombers Following the French surrender a regiment of German soldiers arrives and promptly moves into the homes of the villagers Wehrmacht Oberleutnant Bruno von Falk Matthias Schoenaerts is billeted at the Angelliers household Lucile tries to ignore Bruno but is charmed by his kind demeanor and his piano music He gives her a piece of the sheet music Lucile later learns that her husband Gaston s unit has been imprisoned at a German labor camp Elsewhere the farmer Benoit Sam Riley and his wife Madeleine Ruth Wilson chafe under the German officer Kurt Bonnet Tom Schilling who harasses Madeleine Benoit who was denied the chance to fight because of his leg wound hides a rifle As an act of resistance he steals the German soldiers clothes while they are bathing When Lucile discovers that one of her mother in law s tenants Celine Margot Robbie is having sex with a German soldier Celine reveals that Gaston has been having an extramarital affair and has fathered a girl named Simone Angry with Madame Angellier for withholding her son s affair Lucile allows herself to develop romantic feelings for Bruno At Lucile s request Bruno confronts Kurt over his harassment Lucile s relationship with Bruno draws the hostility of many of the townfolk The Viscountess de Monfort Harriet Walter later catches Benoit stealing a chicken from her coop When Benoit points a gun at her she tells her husband the collaborationist Viscount de Monfort Lambert Wilson who sends German soldiers after Benoit While hiding in a barn Benoit kills Kurt with his gun and flees into the forest The Germans launch a manhunt and give the townsfolk 48 hours to surrender Benoit The German Major Heino Ferch takes the Viscount hostage and threatens to execute him if Benoit is not found At Madeleine s request Lucile hides Benoit in the attic of the Angellier mansion with the help of the reluctant Madame Angellier Despite a massive manhunt the Germans fail to capture Benoit and the Viscount is executed by firing squad With the Germans planning to withdraw from the town Lucile takes part in a plan to smuggle Benoit into Paris where the French Resistance is gathering She manages to convince Bruno to issue her a travel pass to Paris However Bruno s suspicious orderly suspects that Lucile is harboring Benoit and issues special instructions for the checkpoint guards to search her car At the checkpoint Benoit manages to shoot the German soldiers dead with his pistol but is wounded in the shoulder Bruno arrives on a motorcycle Lucile faces him with her pistol but is unable to kill him To Lucile s relief Bruno helps her lift the wounded Benoit into the car and allows them to escape to Paris As she drives away Lucile smiles at Bruno in gratitude Lucile and Benoit later join the French resistance and help drive out the Germans While Lucile later learns that Bruno perished during the war she treasures the memory of his musical score Suite Francaise Cast EditMichelle Williams as Lucile Angellier Kristin Scott Thomas as Madame Angellier Lucile Angellier s mother in law Matthias Schoenaerts as Oberleutnant Bruno Von Falk Sam Riley as Benoit Labarie Madeleine s husband Ruth Wilson as Madeleine Labarie Benoit s wife Lambert Wilson as Viscount de Montmort Clare Holman as Marthe Margot Robbie as Celine Alexandra Maria Lara as Leah Anna s mother Harriet Walter as Viscountess de Montmort Eileen Atkins as Denise Epstein Tom Schilling as Oberleutnant Kurt Bonnet Eric Godon as Monsieur Joseph Celine s father Deborah Findlay as Madame Joseph Celine s mother Diana Kent as Madame Michaud Cedric Maerckx as Gaston Angellier Lucile s husband and Madame Angellier s sonProduction EditConception and adaptation Edit On 9 November 2006 Michael Fleming from Variety reported that the rights to Irene Nemirovsky s novel Suite Francaise written during the Nazi occupation of France but published posthumously in 2004 had been acquired by Universal Pictures 4 Irene was a novelist murdered during the Holocaust in Auschwitz Her works were expected to have been created within the war years erworks Ronald Harwood who wrote the script for The Pianist was set to write the screenplay with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall producing the film 4 The following year TF1 Droits Audiovisuels acquired the rights to the novel from publisher Editions Denoel 3 The novel was adapted for the screen by Saul Dibb and Matt Charman with Dibb directing 3 In 2013 the film produced by France s TF1 Droits Audiovisuels and UK s Entertainment One was given a budget of 15 million 20 million Mick Brown of The Daily Telegraph noted this was big by European if not American standards 5 In May 2013 it was reported that Suite Francaise would be a co production between France U K and Belgium with Xavier Marchand Romain Bremond Michael Kuhn and Andrea Cornwell producing the film along with American Harvey Weinstein of The Weinstein Company serving as the executive producer 6 Dibb focused his adaptation on book two of Nemirovsky s novels which explores the relationships between the French women and the German soldiers who occupied their village in particular the story of Lucile Angellier She is awaiting news of her husband who went to war when a German officer is billeted in her home 7 Dibb said in the making of the film I want to capture this strong sense of immediacy and authenticity The action should feel that it s happening now urgent tense spontaneous made with no benefit of hindsight like we ve discovered a time capsule And very far from a safe stuffy period piece 7 Dibb used the account of the discovery of the manuscript of the novel by Nemirovsky s daughter Denise Epstein to book end the film 7 Nemirovsky s original manuscript is shown during the credits Epstein died shortly before production began but she read drafts of the script 8 Casting Edit Variety s Jeff Sneider reported in October 2012 that actress Michelle Williams was in talks to star in Suite Francaise as the protagonist Lucile Angellier 9 Shortly after she joined the project Kristin Scott Thomas was attached to appear as Lucile s domineering mother in law 10 In an interview with Moviefone s Erin Whitney Scott Thomas commented that the character was similar to herself 11 Actor Matthias Schoenaerts joined the cast as Bruno a German officer and Lucile s love interest in November 2012 12 On 14 June 2013 Dominic Patten from Deadline Hollywood reported that actor Sam Riley had joined the cast as a French soldier called Benoit 13 Riley s wife Alexandra Maria Lara also joined the cast along with fellow actresses Margot Robbie as Celine and Ruth Wilson as Madeleine 14 15 Actors Tom Schilling and Lambert Wilson will also appear in the film as Kurt Bonnet and Viscount de Montmort respectively 3 15 Harriet Walter has been cast as Viscountess de Montmort while Eileen Atkins will appear as Denise Epstein and Cedric Maerckx as Gaston Angellier 15 Filming Edit Filming took place in Marville Principal photography commenced on 24 June 2013 16 The shoot lasted until late August 17 The cast and crew spent eight weeks shooting in Belgium and eight days in France 17 From 10 July filming took place in the village of Marville in the Meuse department 18 In August the cast and crew spent three and a half weeks filming scenes in a house in Belgium Dibb commented that the hot weather helped create its own weird uncomfortable claustrophobic atmosphere which you hope is going to feed into the atmosphere of the scenes 8 Leo Barraclough from Variety reported that principal photography was completed on 2 September 2013 19 Costumes and make up Edit English costume designer Michael O Connor who previously worked with Dibb on The Duchess designed and created the clothing for the film 3 O Connor used photographs magazines and movies of the time to make the clothing and accessories as authentic as possible 20 His major influences were Nemirovsky s novel which describes the clothing in detail and Jean Renoir s 1939 film The Rules of the Game 20 The costumes use authentic French fabrics from Paris 20 The film s countryside setting led Jenny Shircore the hair and make up designer for the production 19 to invoke a sense of sobriety in place of glamor 20 Shircore used quite little make up on Williams who understood she must look quite natural simple in a sense resigned 20 Music Edit French composer Alexandre Desplat was originally attached to compose the film s musical score 21 Dibb wanted Bruno s piano piece to be composed before shooting began and he wanted it to be played during the film as a developing theme and then at the end in its full form 7 Desplat wrote Bruno s Theme but was unable to write the final score for the entire film and was replaced by Rael Jones Jones s score was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London 22 Sony Classical released the soundtrack album on 16 March 2015 23 It features original music composed by Jones a piano piece composed by Desplat and songs performed by Lucienne Boyer Josephine Baker and Rosita Serrano 23 Dibb explained that music plays a crucial part in the film and called the score subtle and atmospheric 7 Release EditOn 16 April 2013 it was reported that The Weinstein Company had pre bought the U S distribution rights for the film 24 On 19 May 2013 it was announced that The Weinstein Company would also handle the distribution rights in Latin America Australia Russia and Germany 6 16 while Entertainment One would release the picture in the U K Spain and Canada 6 The first trailer for the film was released on 24 October 2014 25 Suite Francaise had its world premiere at the Cinema UGC Normandie in Paris on 10 March 2015 26 27 The film was originally scheduled to be released theatrically in the UK through Entertainment One on 23 January 2015 28 but it was postponed to 13 March 2015 29 and it was released on DVD on 27 July 2015 30 It was released in France by UGC Distribution on April 20 2015 Although it had been acquired by The Weinstein Company the film did not have a theatrical release in the US 31 It was scheduled to premiere on Lifetime cable network on 10 October 2016 32 33 but the release was postponed to 22 May 2017 34 35 36 37 Reception EditBox office Edit Suite Francaise earned 503 928 upon its opening weekend in the United Kingdom The film opened to 425 locations and landed at number four in the UK box office top ten 38 The following week the film played at a further 21 screens and earned 268 607 for a total of 1 293 408 It fell three places to seven in the box office chart 39 As of August 2015 Suite Francaise has earned over 9 million worldwide 1 Critical reception Edit The film received mostly positive reviews from critics Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 76 of 45 critics have given the film a positive review with an average rating of 5 94 10 The website s critical consensus states Suite Francaise takes an understated approach to its period romance which along with strong performances from a talented cast pays absorbing dividends 40 Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 63 out of 100 based on 8 reviews indicating generally favorable reviews 41 The Guardian s Peter Bradshaw gave the film two stars out of five and likened the central love story to a damp haddock on a slab 42 He continued This adaptation of Irene Nemirovsky s acclaimed bestseller about French folk collaborating with the Nazis is flabby sugary and passion free 42 Emma Dibdin from Digital Spy gave the film three stars and commented Suite Francaise works far better as the story of a community in flux than it does as a brooding romance the shifting loyalties between villagers and soldiers escalating towards a somewhat compelling third act 43 Anna Smith from Empire rated the film good and said Sterling performances lift the occasionally soapy storyline in this semi successful adaptation 44 Variety s Guy Lodge found the film fusty but enjoyably old fashioned adding iffy scripting decisions can t thwart the romantic allure of this handsomely crafted sincerely performed wartime weeper 45 Writing for The Hollywood Reporter Leslie Felperin s consensus was Suite Francaise has sturdy production values a tony cast and middlebrow tastefulness up the wazoo but barely any soul bite or genuine passion 46 The Desire trailer for Suite Francaise created by eOne Films International and Create Advertising London earned a nomination for Best Foreign Romance Trailer at the 16th Golden Trailer Awards 47 Jones s score was nominated for the Public Choice Award at the 2015 World Soundtrack Awards 48 Film postscript EditThe film s postscript reads as follows Suite Francaise was written in secret as the Nazis occupied France It was never completed In 1942 its author Irene Nemirovsky was arrested for being Jewish and died in Auschwitz Her handwritten manuscript lay unread in a suitcase for nearly sixty years until it was discovered by her daughter Suite Francaise was finally published in 2004 and became a worldwide bestseller The daughter is quoted as saying It is an extraordinary feeling to have brought my mother back to life It shows the Nazis did not truly succeed in killing her It is not vengeance but it is a victory Denise Epstein DaupleAccolades EditYear Award Category Nominee s Result Ref 2015 British Screenwriters Awards Outstanding Newcomer for British Feature Film Writing Matt Charman Saul Dibb Nominated 49 Golden Trailer Awards Best Foreign Romance Trailer Entertainment One Create Advertising Group Nominated 50 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series Movie or Special Original Dramatic Score Rael Jones Nominated 51 Online Film amp Television Association Best Music in a Non Series Rael Jones Nominated 52 References Edit a b c Suite Francaise Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on 19 October 2019 Retrieved 20 May 2017 Suite Francaise 15 British Board of Film Classification 11 November 2014 Archived from the original on 21 March 2018 Retrieved 11 November 2014 a b c d e Rosser Michael 27 June 2013 Suite Francaise shoot begins Screendaily Archived from the original on 17 April 2019 Retrieved 3 July 2013 a b Fleming Michael 9 November 2006 Checking into Suite Variety Archived from the original on 17 May 2014 Retrieved 5 July 2013 Brown Mick 7 March 2015 Matthias Schoenaerts interview I think cautious is boring I want to be bad The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 10 March 2015 Retrieved 13 March 2015 a b c Cannes Weinstein Company Takes U S Rights to Suite Francaise The Hollywood Reporter 19 May 2013 Archived from the original on 19 June 2022 Retrieved 10 May 2017 a b c d e Dibb Saul July 2012 Suite Francaise Intentions TF1 International Archived from the original on 11 March 2015 Retrieved 12 March 2015 a b Black Claire 10 March 2015 Saul Dibb on shooting his new film Suite Francaise The Scotsman Archived from the original on 12 March 2015 Retrieved 12 March 2015 Sneider Jeff 10 October 2012 Michelle Williams in talks for Suite Francaise Variety Archived from the original on 4 June 2013 Retrieved 14 July 2013 Raup Jordan 15 October 2013 Kristin Scott Thomas Joins Michelle Williams In WWII Drama Suite Francaise The Film Stage Archived from the original on 23 February 2013 Retrieved 20 July 2013 Whitney Erin 17 July 2013 Only God Forgives Kristin Scott Thomas on Playing an Evil Mother Swearing On Screen Moviefone Archived from the original on 10 October 2014 Retrieved 20 July 2013 Jagernauth Kevin 23 November 2012 Rust And Bone Star Matthias Schoenaerts Joining Michelle Williams In WWII Drama Suite Francaise theplaylist net Archived from the original on 19 June 2022 Retrieved 1 April 2020 Patten Dominic 14 June 2013 Sam Riley Set For Suite Francaise With Michelle Williams Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on 21 June 2013 Retrieved 8 July 2013 Tartaglione Nancy 27 June 2013 Margot Robbie Ruth Wilson Alexandra Maria Lara Join Weinstein Co s Suite Francaise Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on 1 July 2013 Retrieved 8 July 2013 a b c Suite francaise Leading cast TF1 International Archived from the original on 17 October 2013 Retrieved 8 October 2013 a b TF1 DA Entertainment One and The Weinstein Company Announce Partnership on Suite Francaise Entertainment One 20 May 2013 Archived from the original on 24 October 2014 Retrieved 6 July 2013 a b Daniels Nia 28 May 2013 Michelle Williams leads cast on WWII drama KFTV com Archived from the original on 21 June 2013 Retrieved 6 July 2013 Pradayrol Francois 20 July 2013 Culture Rain of stars at Marville for the filming of a historical film Le Republicain Lorrain in French Archived from the original on 21 July 2013 Retrieved 20 July 2013 a b Barraclough Leo 2 September 2013 First Image Released of TWC Pickup Suite Francaise Variety Archived from the original on 4 September 2013 Retrieved 3 September 2013 a b c d e Palladini Federica 5 March 2015 French Suite the costumes and the makeup of the film Elle Italy in Italian Archived from the original on 7 March 2015 Retrieved 8 March 2015 Lopez Kristen 27 June 2013 Alexandre Desplat Scoring Suite Francaise Starring Michelle Williams amp Matthias Schoenaert IndieWire Archived from the original on 15 October 2014 Retrieved 5 July 2013 Rael Jones Scoring Saul Dibb s Suite Francaise Film Music Reporter 18 August 2014 Archived from the original on 9 October 2014 Retrieved 6 October 2014 a b Suite Francaise Soundtrack Details Film Music Reporter 19 February 2015 Archived from the original on 16 March 2015 Retrieved 8 March 2015 The Weinstein Company Booking Suite Francaise With Michelle Williams amp Matthias Schoenaerts IndieWire 16 April 2013 Archived from the original on 19 June 2022 Retrieved 10 May 2017 Armitage Hugh 24 October 2014 Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas in Suite Francaise trailer Digital Spy Archived from the original on 24 October 2014 Retrieved 24 October 2014 SUITE FRANCAISE World Premiere in Paris TF1 International 16 March 2015 Archived from the original on 16 June 2018 Retrieved 10 May 2017 Michelle Williams attends the world premiere of Suite Francaise at Cinema UGC Normandie on March 10 2015 in Paris France Getty Images 10 March 2015 Archived from the original on 20 June 2018 Retrieved 10 May 2017 Watch Michelle Williams amp Matthias Schoenaerts Take On A Forbidden Love In First Trailer For Suite Francaise The Playlist 23 October 2014 Archived from the original on 19 June 2022 Retrieved 6 May 2017 Hemrajani Sara 20 November 2014 Suite Francaise Gets New U K Release Date Filmoria Archived from the original on 6 February 2015 Retrieved 13 February 2015 Suite Francaise BBC Films Archived from the original on 15 August 2015 Retrieved 25 July 2015 The Lost Orphaned And Long Delayed Projects Of Harvey Weinstein IndieWire 20 August 2015 Archived from the original on 19 June 2022 Retrieved 6 May 2017 Fall Into Lifetime s October Movies The Futon Critic 13 September 2016 Archived from the original on 19 June 2022 Retrieved 10 October 2016 Is Suite Francaise A True Story The Movie Has A Tragic Backstory Bustle 10 October 2016 Archived from the original on 11 October 2016 Retrieved 10 October 2016 Lifetime s premieres Michael Jackson Searching for Neverland Menendez Blood Brothers Suite Francaise Little Women Atlanta Monie Gets Married Catastrophe A E Networks 5 May 2017 Archived from the original on 27 May 2017 Retrieved 6 May 2017 Weinstein s Suite Francaise Lands On Lifetime Michelle Williams Matthias Schoenaerts WWII Romance Gets Airdate Deadline Hollywood 10 May 2017 Archived from the original on 19 June 2022 Retrieved 10 May 2017 Suite Francaise Lifetime Retrieved 6 May 2017 The Weinstein Company Are Dumping Suite Francaise Starring Michelle Williams amp Matthias Schoenaerts On Lifetime The Playlist 10 May 2017 Archived from the original on 16 June 2017 Retrieved 6 May 2017 Grant Charles 17 March 2015 Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel outruns Liam Neeson at UK box office The Guardian Archived from the original on 18 March 2015 Retrieved 17 March 2015 Gant Charles 24 March 2015 Home sweet at UK box office while older children rush to Insurgent The Guardian Archived from the original on 2 April 2015 Retrieved 24 March 2015 Suite Francaise 2015 Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Media Archived from the original on 2 July 2020 Retrieved 21 May 2019 Suite Francaise Reviews Metacritic CBS Interactive Archived from the original on 19 June 2022 Retrieved 13 March 2015 a b Bradshaw Peter 12 March 2015 Suite Francaise review Michelle Williams sleepwalks through wartime The Guardian Archived from the original on 13 March 2015 Retrieved 13 March 2015 Dibdin Emma 13 March 2015 Suite Francaise review Michelle Williams stars in a rote war romance Digital Spy Archived from the original on 14 March 2015 Retrieved 13 March 2015 Smith Anna Suite Francaise Empire Archived from the original on 21 March 2015 Retrieved 13 March 2015 Lodge Guy 10 March 2015 Film Review Suite francaise Variety Archived from the original on 12 March 2015 Retrieved 13 March 2015 Felperin Leslie 10 March 2015 Suite Francaise Film Review The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 19 June 2022 Retrieved 14 March 2015 The 16th Annual Golden Trailer Award Nominees Golden Trailer Awards Archived from the original on 13 April 2015 Retrieved 19 April 2015 Public Choice voting World Soundtrack Academy Archived from the original on 8 August 2015 Retrieved 4 August 2015 The British Screenwriters Awards 2015 LondonSWF London Screenwriters Festival 26 October 2015 Archived from the original on 26 January 2022 Retrieved 19 June 2022 Nominees For 16th Annual Golden Trailer Awards Revealed As The Entertainment Industry Celebrates The Best In Motion Picture Trailers And Television Marketing PR Newswire 10 April 2015 Archived from the original on 28 December 2021 Retrieved 19 June 2022 Emmys 2017 Full List of Nominations Variety 13 July 2017 Archived from the original on 26 June 2019 Retrieved 19 June 2022 21st Annual TV Awards 2016 17 Online Film amp Television Association Archived from the original on 20 June 2018 Retrieved 19 June 2022 External links EditSuite Francaise at BBC Films Suite Francaise at BFI Suite Francaise at Lumiere Suite Francaise at IMDb Suite Francaise at Rotten Tomatoes Suite Francaise at Metacritic Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Suite Francaise film amp oldid 1146348737, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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