TIFF '18 Film Review - Mademoiselle de Joncquieres

Madame de La Pommeraye ( Cecile de France) is a widower living on a vast estate in the French countryside outside of Paris. She is alone at the estate with only servants for company, therefore, she is happy when friends and peers make the trek out for a visit. It's under these conditions that notorious libertine Marquis of Arcis ( Edouard Baer) burrows his way into her realm staying for months on end gaining her trust then her heart against the warnings of her best friend L'Amie de Madame (Laure Calamy) who comes often to visit the Madame from Paris knowing well the Marquis' womanizing reputation. The Madame comes to learn the story of Madame de Jonquieres (Natalia Dontcheva) and her daughter the titular character the Mademoiselle (Alice Isaaz). The pair were shunned by the latter's father leading them into prostitution to survive.

The Marquis is fulfilled by Madame for a period of time symbolized by a smooth transition where they plant a sapling together that morphs into a tree in the next frame. The Marquis turns towards his real estate ventures spending less time in the country forcing the Madame to speak first of their distance that he jumps on immediately declaring that they work better as friends free to detail all of his conquests from then on. However, the Madame is not happy with this arrangement she runs into the Jonquieres taking them under her wing as she decides her next move.

Director Emmanuel Mouret creates a delightful 18th-century Provincial feel with this film. The Madame's state has vast sweeping grounds. Servants are everywhere with the decadence of the time on display early with the Madame and the Marquis out for a stroll with two servants carrying armchairs behind them.  The dialogue is full of rich gossip from Paris normally brought by L'Amie de Madame with the main mode of transportation carriages clattering along in the countryside.

Cecile de France has the most to do as the Madame. She is deeply involved with all of the main characters with her feelings and reactions to the other players forming the direction of the piece. Natalia Dontcheva is passionate as the fallen madame de Jonquieres. A strong advocate for her daughter doing what she needs to survive both before and after the Madame takes an interest in her fate. Edouard Baer takes the right tone in playing the Marquis. He is devoted to the Madame as he courts her, distant after her heart is his then desperate as he pursues his latest target that he feels might be the one.

Mademoiselle de Jonquires has all the elements that one is looking for in a period piece. Love and loss  Provincial estate life plus being in French leads the viewer to thoughts of Louis XIV. The script is sharp, the acting delectable in a film that I can definitely recommend.

*** 1/2 Out of 4.

Mademoiselle de Jonquires | Emmanuel Mouret | France | 2018 |109 Minutes.

Tags: 18th Century, Aristocracy, Paris, Scandal, Estate, Marquis, Madame, Gardens, Marriage, Libertine