La Vie Rêvée des Anges

France

Synopsis

Isa is twenty years old and lives hard times with a smiling philosophy, looking for small jobs, never the same, since she just cannot adapt herself to the discipline of work.
She meets Marie in a confection workshop.
Marie is also twenty. Lonesome, like Isa, but for other reasons. She is savage, hurt, locked in her desire and her rebellion. Desire for living, for being recognized, which often leads her to provocation. Rebellion agains her social condition.
In spite of their difference, both girls join their solitude, giving birth to an evident, immediate friendship, like a mutual need, help, adoption.
Marie is living in an apartment that she keeps, and where she invites Isa. The owners, a woman and her fifteen years old daughter, Sandrine, are hospitalized alter a car accident, fighting against death.
During a concert, Marie and Isa meet Charly and Fredo, tall and impressive doorman. With them, life seems rather simple, made of small deals, of money easely gained.
Marie becomes Charly's mistress, mostly to be accepted by a band than for real desire, to find her place in this little world. Isa follows her, observing more than participating.
One day, Isa finds Sandrine's journal, and discovers throuh it an other universe, at the opposite from hers and Marie's one. A protected teenager, full of love, educated and cultivate. Things written as Isa would not be able to say, with the words of an unknown person, but words that touch her, like an echo to her own thoughts.
Very soon aller, Marie meets Chriss, a wealthy young man from the city. He starts boying around her, by game. His attitude, slightly despiteful, the social bareer that separates them become for Marie like a defi she has to win. She says nothing to Isa, and rejects Charly, to start the conquest of Chriss, with the growing hope he will be the solution for her to get out of her condition. A crual and destroying game starts betwen the two.
On her side, Isa goes to the hospital where she is told that Sandrine's mother died, she discovers the young teenager still in a coma.
Back home, Isa takes Sandrine's journal and starts maladroitement to write her own story, to continue Sandrine's life, and maintain the thread of life...
Marie is more and more restless, depending on Chriss' visits to her.
Isa rejects Chriss as much as he rejects her. Day alter day, Isa and Marie go their own and separated ways, they just cross each other in the apartment, having nothing left to share. Rejected by Marie, Isa dedicates herself totally to Sandrine to bring her back to life.
But the apartment is now on sale, and both girls have to leave soon. Isa will keep on going her way, while Marie thinks she found love. But Chriss is not ready and flees from Marie who gets more and more violent.
After what is the last fight between Isa and Marie, Marie throughs out Isa of the place, holding her responsible for Chriss's departure. Isa goes away, taking with her Sandrine's journal. Isa is lost, deeply hurt by this separation. She is told at the hospital that Sandrine's condition has worsten, almost hopeless. She hides in the chapell of the hospital, where she stays several days, prostrated in a deep depression that she will overcome slowly, painfully, in the great silence of the chapell. On her painful way back to the world, the miracle happens, Sandrine will live, and this is like a revelation to her
Chriss is definitely gone, Isa is no Tonger there, Marie fails again to love and is more alone than ever, in the now empty apartment...
One day Isa comes back to the apartment, not knowing Marie is sleeping in the bedroom, to write a letter to her, like a given hand to hope.
While leaving, she goes by Marie's room, and opens the door...
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Cast & Crew

Directed by: Erick Zonca

Written by: Erick Zonca, Roger Bohbot

Produced by: Francois Marquis

Cinematography: Agnès Godard

Editing: Yannick Kergoat

Production Design: Jimmy Vansteenkiste

Costume Design: Françoise Clavel

Cast: Natacha Regnier (Marie), Jo Prestia (Fredo), Grégoire Colin (Chriss), Patrick Mercado (Charly), Elodie Bouchez (Isa)

Nominations and Awards

  • European Discovery of the Year - Fassbinder Award  1998
  • European Actress 1998
  • European Film 1998
  • Feature Film Selection 1998