Monday, September 05, 2011

The Girl From Paris

Film: The Girl From Paris [2001, france]
Where: Tulsa/at home/dvd
Who with: loner style
Rating: ***1/2

Every so often, I love to be transported to France via cinema. I've never even been to France properly [I'm not counting the times I've stopped in the airport for connecting flights], but based on the 15 to 20 films I see each year from there, think I'd get along swimmingly if I spent time there. The Girl From Paris, a low-key charmer only solidifies that opinion. Forget visiting though, after watching stuff like this, I'd like to pack up all my belongings and move there for a spell.

Sandrine [Mathilde Seigner] is in her late 20s or early 30s and is tired of the city life in Paris. Burned out by her technology based job, the endless traffic, noise and hustle of urban living, she enrolls in a two year program to learn how to become a farmer. She is paired up with a surly goat farmer in a gorgeous, but extremely remote, mountaintop region and begins to devote her time to the goats, the property and her quiet life. It's not easy, but Sandrine is fully dedicated until events lead her to question her resolve once the harsh winter comes sweeping in.

I'm a fan of movies set on farms. I've always loved seeing people work on the land, in barns, with animals. Documentaries or fiction, it doesn't matter. If the setting is rural, I'm interested. Toss in the French element and the stunning location and I'm an easy mark. Luckily, The Girl From Paris is a sweet, tender comedy/drama about simplifying your life. There's also the pleasant side-story about the deepening relationship between the cantankerous old goat farmer and this woman with newfangled ideas such as selling goat cheese online or opening up a small hotel for guests looking for a rural retreat. The Girl From Paris has a lot of heart and might make you want to move to France--or at least go for a visit.

4 comments:

Eva said...

That sounds really good, and like something for me - so thank you! I'll seek that one out.

(by the way, I hate Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris with a passion - it's the only airport I'm unable to navigate - I follow every single sign and never end uo where I need to be, and I don't think I'm THAT stupid).

Talking of rural settings - i spend the long weekend in my good old home Wyoming - so good to see it again. i know it's adjacent to Utah but it's a whole different world.

Joshua Blevins Peck said...

This one is a real charmer. One of those you've never heard of, but when you see it you kind of fall in love with it.

I agree--Wyoming is a completely different culture than Utah!

And, the few times I've been in that airport I've thought it was a pain in the a*s too!

hidden staircase said...

i'm so going to rent this. mountains, farmland and goats...i'm there!

Joshua Blevins Peck said...

Staircase--I think you'll be charmed by this one. If you like beautiful mountain scenery and goats alone--then that will be enough, ha.