''Fauteuils d'orchestre'' (literal translation, Orchestra Seats) is a French film released in 2006 directed by

Danièle Thompson Danièle Thompson (born 3 January 1942) is a Monegasque film director and screenwriter. Thompson is the daughter of film director Gérard Oury, and actress Jacqueline Roman. She has written screenplays for a number of highly successful films i ...

, which she co-scripted with her son, Christopher Thompson. The film was released in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and Australia as ''Orchestra Seats'', and in the United States and English-speaking Canada as ''

Avenue Montaigne Avenue Montaigne () is a street in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Origin of the name Avenue Montaigne was originally called the Allée des Veuves (widows' alley) because women in mourning gathered there, but the street has changed muc ...

''.

Production

Valérie Lemercier Valérie Lemercier (; born 9 March 1964) is a French actress, screenwriter, director and singer. Life and career Born in Dieppe, Seine-Maritime as the daughter of farmers, Lemercier grew up in Gonzeville and then studied at the Rouen Conserva ...

was awarded a César Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance. The movie was nominated for another four Césars and also received a shortlist nomination for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Foreign Film. The film is dedicated to

Suzanne Flon Suzanne Flon (28 January 1918 – 15 June 2005) was a French stage, film, and television actress. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in the 1961 film '' Thou Shalt Not Kill''. Flon also received two César Awards and two ...

(Madame Roux in the cast), who died after the film was completed.

Cast

* Cécile de France – Jessica *

– Catherine Versen *

Albert Dupontel Albert Dupontel (; born 11 January 1964) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. Following his father's path, he studied medicine but eventually switched to theater, disillusioned by hospital life. He started his career as a stand-u ...

– Jean-François Lefort * Claude Brasseur – Jacques Grumberg * Dani – Claudie * Christopher Thompson – Frédéric Grumberg *

Laura Morante Laura Morante (born 21 August 1956) is an Italian film actress. Life and career Morante was born in Santa Fiora, province of Grosseto (Tuscany), the daughter of lawyer and playwright Marcello Morante, who was the son of Irma (née Poggibonsi) ...

– Valentine Lefort *

Annelise Hesme Annelise Hesme (born 11 May 1976) is a French actress. Her older sister Élodie Hesme and younger sister Clotilde Hesme are also actresses. Born in Beaumont, Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, France. Hesme has appeared in many films such as '' Tanguy'' ...

– Valérie * Sydney Pollack – Brian Sobinski *

Françoise Lépine Françoise Lépine is a French actress. Theatre Filmography References External links * * French film actresses Living people 20th-century French actresses 21st-century French actresses Year of birth missing (living people) P ...

– Magali Garrel * Guillaume Gallienne – Pascal *

– Madame Roux * Michel Vuillermoz – Félix * Sabrina Ouazani – Rachida * François Rollin – Marcel * Daniel Benoin – Daniel Bercoff * Christian Hecq – Grégoire Bergonhe * Julia Molkhou – Margot * Laurent Mouton – Serge * Marc Rioufol – Claude Mercier

Plot

Jessica has moved from her small Burgundian town of

Mâcon Mâcon (), historically anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the prefecture of the department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home to near 34,000 residents, who are referred to in French as ...

to Paris to start a new life, inspired by her grandmother, Madame Roux, who "always loved luxury". In Paris, she initially has trouble finding work, and spends one evening without shelter. She eventually gets a job waitressing in a small café, the Bar des Théâtres, even though the café, following tradition, has never before hired female waiters. The owner hires Jessica only because he is expecting large crowds soon and needs staff. The café is in an area of Paris close to several artistic venues, including the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and a concert hall, on

. One of the backstage staff at the theatre, Claudie, helps to welcome Jessica to Paris. While working at the café, Jessica meets a number of people who are all dealing with various life crises or changes: * Catherine is an actress who has been type-cast by her role in a popular TV soap opera and who yearns to do more artistically rewarding work. She is alternating between her TV soap opera and a production of a

Georges Feydeau Georges-Léon-Jules-Marie Feydeau (; 8 December 1862 – 5 June 1921) was a French playwright of the era known as the Belle Époque. He is remembered for his farces, written between 1886 and 1914. Feydeau was born in Paris to middle-class parent ...

play, rarely getting time for sleep except in taxicabs. A new opportunity arises when the American film director Brian Sobinski arrives in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

to cast a new film based on the life of Simone de Beauvoir. * Jean-François is a world-renowned pianist who wants nothing more than to share his playing with those who would appreciate it least, and to get away from formal classical music concerts. This disconcerts his wife Valentine, who is also his manager, because of all the planning that she has done for his career. * Jacques is an art collector who has decided to sell off his collection towards the end of his life. He and his son Frédéric have a somewhat strained relationship, not helped by the fact that Jacques is in a relationship with the much younger Valérie, with whom Frédéric himself once had an affair. Frédéric is also just separated from his wife. All three face pivotal turning points in their lives on the same night, with Jessica as a thread between all three.

Classical music reference

The French pianist François-René Duchâble was the classical music technical advisor for the film, and performs the solo piano works for the soundtrack. The character of Jean-François Lefort in this film incorporates elements of Duchâble's own expressed attitudes towards the classical music world. In the film, Jean-François states his dislike for the stresses and formality of the classical music world, and wants to perform concerts for children and the ill. This is reflected from public statements that Duchâble had made in previous years.

References

External links

* *
JP's Box Office website, financial information on ''Fauteuils d'orchestre''
{{French submission for Academy Awards French comedy-drama films 2000s French-language films 2006 films Films directed by Danièle Thompson Films scored by Nicola Piovani 2000s French films