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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

“Run Forrest! Run!” No, wait. That’s a different movie altogether even though for part of an afternoon it seemed like My Afternoons with Margueritte, starring veteran 62-year-old actor Gérard Depardieu, felt more like My Afternoons with Forrest Gump.

In a small French town, Germain Chazes (Depardieu, The Man in the Iron Mask) is an overweight, uneducated man in his 50s who has just been screwed out of some money. To cool off he sits down on a park bench and begins talking about pigeons with a genial, educated 95-year-old woman named Margueritte (Gisèle Casadesus, The Hedgehog, Sarah’s Key).

A beautiful friendship forms as they start meeting regularly. During their afternoons together Margueritte reads novels to Germain as he hangs on her every word. It’s not hard to understand Germain’s affection for her since he views himself as insignificant.

Through flashbacks and interactions with an eclectic mix of local bar flies we see that Germain has been bullied his entire life. Even though he slavishly takes care of his mentally ill mother, she still berates him. Until Margueritte enters his life, Germain’s only source of unconditional love comes from Annette (Sophie Guillemin, With a Friend like Harry), a pretty bus driver in her early 30s who is devoted to him because of his pure heart.

Ignoring Forrest Gump’s historical encounters, there are unmistakable similarities between Forrest and Germain. Both are taunted relentlessly as children and belittled as adults. Both have a tendency to speak with an unfiltered tongue. Both have naïve, yet true hearts. The difference is that Germain is filled with self-loathing.

Germain has allowed his mother, teacher, and fake friends ridicule to destroy his self-esteem. If it weren’t for his good heart, Germain probably would have snapped with dire consequences.

Depardieu, who always seems out of breath during the film, delivers a solid performance throughout with his best moments occurring with Casadesus. However, his romance with the much younger Annette does not ring true. Guillemin infuses her character with a sincere gentleness but her chemistry with Depardieu is flat.

Additionally, there is a twist involving Germain’s mother that is unbelievable in every aspect. It comes across as a desperate contrivance in an attempt to give the film a stirring climax during an otherwise unremarkable final chapter in the story.

On a letter grade scale from “A” being excellent to “F” for failing My Afternoons with Margueritte receives a C.

My Afternoons with Margueritte is unrated and has a running time of 82 minutes.

Now showing through October 27 @
 

Rio Theatre
7204 W 80^th St.
Overland Park, KS
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com or call 913-383-8200 for more information.

Glenwood at Red Bridge
11118 Holmes
Kansas City, MO
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com or call 816-942-1131 for more information.

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.