''Same Old Song'' (french: On connaît la chanson) is a 1997 French

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

. It was directed by

Alain Resnais Alain Resnais (; 3 June 19221 March 2014) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career extended over more than six decades. After training as a film editor in the mid-1940s, he went on to direct a number of short films which included ...

, and written by

Agnès Jaoui Agnès Jaoui (born 19 October 1964) is a French actress, screenwriter, film director and singer. She frequently worked in collaboration with her former partner Jean-Pierre Bacri. Life and career Jaoui was born in Antony, Hauts-de-Seine, and is ...

and

Jean-Pierre Bacri Jean-Pierre Bacri (24 May 1951 – 18 January 2021) was a French actor and screenwriter. He frequently worked in collaboration with Agnès Jaoui. Life and career One of Bacri's earliest film appearances was ''Subway''. He co-wrote with Jaoui ...

. Jaoui and Bacri also starred in the film with Sabine Azéma,

Lambert Wilson Lambert Wilson (born 3 August 1958) is a French actor, singer and activist. He is best known internationally for his portrayal of The Merovingian in ''The Matrix Reloaded'', ''The Matrix Revolutions'' and ''The Matrix Resurrections''. Biograph ...

André Dussollier André Dussollier (born 17 February 1946) is a French actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as fi ...

and

Pierre Arditi Pierre Arditi (born 1 December 1944) is a French actor. He is the brother of French actress Catherine Arditi. Life and career Born in Paris, his father was the painter Georges Arditi, from Marseille of Jewish descent, and his mother Yvonne ...

Plot

Odile (Azéma), a business executive, is married to weak, furtive Claude (Arditi). In the past Odile was close to successful businessman Nicolas (Bacri), now married with kids and returning to Paris after an eight-year absence. She is looking for a new, bigger apartment from estate agent Marc (Wilson). Her younger sister Camille (Jaoui), has just completed her doctoral thesis in history and is a Paris tour guide. Simon (Dussollier) is a regular on Camille's tours because he's attracted to her, although he claims to be researching his historical radio dramas. Camille has fallen for Marc, and they begin an affair. Nicolas is also looking for an apartment, since he hopes to eventually have his family join him in Paris. The most original feature of this "musical" is that characters break into songs as sung by the original artists, i.e. depending on the circumstances, a female character may all of a sudden start singing in a male voice and vice versa. The judicious choice of songs and variety of styles make for some very funny surprises, considering the complete and voluntary absence of transitions between the talking and singing. The film's debt to

Dennis Potter Dennis Christopher George Potter (17 May 1935 – 7 June 1994) was an English television dramatist, screenwriter and journalist. He is best known for his BBC television serials '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Singing Detective'' (198 ...

is acknowledged with a dedication in the opening credits.

Cast

as Claude Lalande * Sabine Azéma as Odile Lalande, Claude's wife *

as Nicolas *

as Simon *

as Camille, Odile's younger sister *

as Marc Duveyrier, Simon's boss *

Jane Birkin Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE (born 14 December 1946) is an English-French singer and actress. She attained international fame and notability for her decade-long musical and romantic partnership with Serge Gainsbourg. She also had a prolific career ...

as Jane, the wife of Nicolas * Françoise Bertin as Little Lady on Tour *

Jean-Paul Roussillon Jean-Paul Roussillon (5 March 1931 – 31 July 2009) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1954 and 2008. He starred in the film '' Playing 'In the Company of Men, which was screened in the Un C ...

as the father of Odile and Camille *

Jean-Pierre Darroussin Jean-Pierre Darroussin (born 4 December 1953) is a French actor and filmmaker. He was born in Courbevoie, France. Theater Filmography Actor *1992: '' Riens du tout'' (directed by Cédric Klapisch starring Fabrice Luchini, Daniel Berlioux) ...

as the man with the cheque *

Claire Nadeau Claire Nadeau (born 1 June 1945) is a French actress. Theater Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nadeau, Claire French film actresses 20th-century French actresses 21st-century French actresses Actresses from P ...

and Frédérique Cantrel as Female Guest

Songs

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

: ''J'ai deux amours'' *

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida, was an Italian-French singer and actress born in Egypt. She sang in eleven languages and sold millions of records internationally. Her best known son ...

and Alain Delon : ''

Paroles, paroles "Paroles, paroles" (; "Words, words") is a song by French singer Dalida featuring French actor Alain Delon. It was released on 17 January 1973 as the lead single from her upcoming album '' Julien'' (1973). Lyrics describe the conversation of a m ...

'' *

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

: ''Et moi dans mon coin'' * René Koval : ''C'est dégoutant mais nécessaire'' *

Simone Simon Simone Thérèse Fernande Simon (23 April 1910 or 1911 – 22 February 2005) was a French film actress who began her film career in 1931. Early life Born in Marseille, France, she was the daughter of Henri Louis Firmin Clair Simon, a French J ...

: ''Afin de plaire à son papa'' * Gaston Ouvrard : ''Je n'suis pas bien portant'' * Albert Préjean : ''Je m'donne'' *

Jacques Dutronc Jacques Dutronc (born 28 April 1943) is a French singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer, and actor. He married singer Françoise Hardy on 30 March 1981 and together they have a son (manouche jazz) guitarist Thomas Dutronc, born 1973); they sepa ...

: ''J'aime les filles'' *

Michel Sardou Michel Charles Sardou (; born 26 January 1947) is a French singer and occasional actor. He is known not only for his love songs ("La maladie d'amour", "Je vais t'aimer"), but also for songs dealing with various social and political issues, su ...

: ''Déjà vu'' *

Gilbert Bécaud Gilbert Bécaud (, 24 October 1927 – 18 December 2001) was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are " Nathalie" and "Et maintenant", a 1961 release ...

: ''

Nathalie Nathalie is a female given name. It is a variant of the name Natalie/ Natalia which is found in many languages, and is especially common in French and English speaking countries. Notable people with the name include: * Nathalie, Italian singer ...

'' * Maurice Chevalier : ''Dans la vie faut pas s'en faire'' *

Arletty Léonie Marie Julie Bathiat (15 May 1898 – 23 July 1992), known professionally as Arletty, was a French actress, singer, and fashion model. As an actress she is particularly known for classics directed by Marcel Carné, including '' Hotel du N ...

and Aquistapace : ''Et le reste'' *

Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars. Pia ...

: ''J'm'en fous pas mal'' *

Alain Bashung Alain Bashung (, born Alain Claude Baschung; 1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor. Credited with reviving the French chanson in "a time of French musical turmoil", he is often regarded in his home country a ...

: ''Vertige de l'amour'' *

Sheila Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, mean ...

: '' L'école est finie'' *

Serge Lama Serge Lama (born Serge Claude Bernard Chauvier on 11 February 1943 in Bordeaux) is a French singer and songwriter. His most famous song is '' Je suis malade'', written with Alice Dona Alice Donadel, stagename Alice Dona (Maisons-Alfort, 17 F ...

: '' Je suis malade'' * Léo Ferré : ''Avec le temps'' * Henri Garat : ''Avoir un bon copain'' *

: ''Quoi'' *

France Gall Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Between 1973 and 1992, ...

: '' Résiste'' * Albert Préjean : ''Amusez-vous'' * Henri Garat : ''La tête qu'il faut faire'' *

Alain Souchon Alain Souchon (; born Alain Édouard Kienast ; 27 May 1944) is a French singer-songwriter and actor. He has released 15 albums and has played roles in seven films. Profile Alain Souchon was born in Casablanca, Morocco. His family on his mother ...

: ''Sous les jupes des filles'' * Eddy Mitchell : ''La dernière séance'' *

Sylvie Vartan Sylvie Vartan (; born Sylvie Georges Vartanian; hy, Սիլվի Ժորժ Վարդանյան. on 15 August 1944) is an Armenian-Bulgarian-French singer and actress. She is known as one of the most productive and tough-sounding yé-yé artists. ...

: '' La plus belle pour aller danser'' * Serge Gainsbourg : ''Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais'' * Eddy Mitchell : ''Je vous dérange'' * Téléphone : ''Ça c'est vraiment toi'' * Dranem : ''Quand on perd la tête'' *

Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France. During a career spanning 57 ...

: ''Ma gueule'' *

Pierre Perret Pierre Perret (born 9 July 1934 in Castelsarrasin, Tarn-et-Garonne) is a French singer and composer. Pierre Perret resides in the city of Nangis. Biography He spent a long part of his childhood in the café which his parents owned, where he le ...

: ''Mon p'tit loup'' *

Claude François Claude Antoine Marie François (; 1 February 1939 – 11 March 1978), also known by the nickname Cloclo, was a French pop singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, drummer and dancer. François co-wrote the lyrics of "Comme d'habitude" (c ...

: ''Le mal-aimé'' * Michel Jonasz : ''J'veux pas qu'tu t'en ailles'' *

Julien Clerc Paul Alain Leclerc (born 4 October 1947), known by his stage name Julien Clerc (), is a French singer-songwriter. Life Born in Paris, Clerc grew up listening to classical music in his father Paul Leclerc's home, while his mother Évelyne Merlot ...

: ''Ce n'est rien'' *

: ''Chanson populaire'' * Eddy Mitchell : ''Blues du blanc''

Accolades

The film won the

César Award for Best Film The winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Film ( French: ''César du meilleur film''). Winners and nominees 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s See also *Lumières Award for Best Film * Louis Delluc Prize for Best Film ...

, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing, Best Editing and Best Sound in 1998. It won the Louis Delluc Prize in 1997. At the

48th Berlin International Film Festival The 48th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 February 1998. The festival opened with the Irish film ''The Boxer'' by Jim Sheridan. Francis Ford Coppola's '' The Rainmaker'' was selected as the closing night film. The ...

in 1998, Resnais won the

Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Same Old Song 1990s romantic comedy-drama films 1997 films Best Film César Award winners Films directed by Alain Resnais Films featuring a Best Actor César Award-winning performance Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor César Award-winning performance Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress César Award-winning performance Films set in Paris Films shot in Paris 1990s French-language films French musical comedy-drama films 1990s musical comedy-drama films Louis Delluc Prize winners Jukebox musical films Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution 1997 comedy films 1997 drama films 1990s French films