''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 and Jean-Pierre Bacri. Jaoui and Bacri also starred in the film with

Sabine Azéma Sabine Azéma (born 20 September 1949) is a French stage and film actress and director. Born in Paris, she graduated from the Paris Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Career Her film career began in 1975. Azéma appeared in '' A Sunday in the ...

, Lambert Wilson, André Dussollier 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 L ...

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'' (1 ...

is acknowledged with a dedication in the opening credits.

Cast

as Claude Lalande *

as Odile Lalande, Claude's wife * Jean-Pierre Bacri as Nicolas * André Dussollier as Simon * Agnès Jaoui as Camille, Odile's younger sister * Lambert Wilson 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 Françoise Bertin (23 September 1925 – 26 October 2014) was a French actress. She appeared in over 125 films since 1961. Among these were five films directed by Alain Resnais: '' Last Year at Marienbad'', '' Muriel'', ''The War Is Over'', '' ...

as Little Lady on Tour * Jean-Paul Roussillon as the father of Odile and Camille * Jean-Pierre Darroussin as the man with the cheque * Claire Nadeau and

Frédérique Cantrel Frédérique Cantrel is a French television, film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas ...

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'' *

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 : ''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 se ...

: ''J'aime les filles'' * Michel Sardou : ''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'' *

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", "Valentine", " Louise", "Mimi", and "Thank Heav ...

: ''Dans la vie faut pas s'en faire'' * Arletty and Aquistapace : ''Et le reste'' * Édith Piaf: ''J'm'en fous pas mal'' * Alain Bashung : ''Vertige de l'amour'' * Sheila : '' L'école est finie'' * Serge Lama : '' Je suis malade'' * Léo Ferré : ''Avec le temps'' *

Henri Garat Henri Garat (born ''Henri Garascu''; 3 April 1902 in Paris – 13 August 1959) was a French actor and singer of Romanian origin.(French) "Du Temps Des Cerises Aux Feuilles Mortes" Selected filmography *''The Road to Paradise'' (1930) *''Our Maste ...

: ''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 "Résiste" is a 1981 pop song recorded by French singer France Gall. Written by Michel Berger, it was the first single from her studio album '' Tout pour la musique'', on which it appears as the fifth track, and was released in November 1981. In ...

'' * Albert Préjean : ''Amusez-vous'' *

: ''La tête qu'il faut faire'' * Alain Souchon : ''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 Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoc ...

: ''Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais'' * Eddy Mitchell : ''Je vous dérange'' *

Téléphone Téléphone () was a French rock band formed in 1976. Their first, self-titled album was released in 1977; by the end of the decade they were one of the biggest French rock bands around, opening shows for The Rolling Stones in Paris, Quebec, ...

: ''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 : ''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" ( ...

: ''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 Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to th ...

, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing,

Best Editing This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...

and Best Sound in 1998. It won the

Louis Delluc Prize The Louis Delluc Prize (french: Prix Louis-Delluc ) is a French film award presented annually since 1937. The award is bestowed to the Best Film and Best First Film of the year on the second week of each December. The jury is composed of 20 members, ...

in 1997. At the 48th Berlin International Film Festival in 1998, Resnais won the Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution.

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