''Sentimental Destinies'' (french: Les Destinées sentimentales) is a 2000 French

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Olivier Assayas Olivier Assayas (born 25 January 1955) is a French film director, screenwriter and film critic. Assayas is known for his slow-burning period pieces, psychological thrillers, neo-noirs and French comedies. His work has become synonymous with t ...

. Running from the 1890s to the 1930s, the film tells the story of two wealthy

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

families in the south-west of France: the Pommerels who make cognac and the Barnerys who make porcelain. It was entered into the

2000 Cannes Film Festival The 53rd Cannes Film Festival started on 14 May and ran until 25 May 2000 in film, 2000. French film director, screenwriter, and producer Luc Besson was the Jury President. The Palme d'Or went to the cinema of Denmark, Danish film ''Dancer in the ...

Plot

Uninterested in the pottery business, Jean Barnery is ordained as a

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

and marries Nathalie, a woman quite unsuited to the role. When her behaviour with another man excites comment, he sends her and their daughter Aline away with an allowance. When people start commenting that it is worse for a pastor to have a separated wife open to any mischief, he brings her back to the marital home. Then he meets Pauline Pommerel and loses his heart to her. He divorces Nathalie, gives up his calling, marries Pauline, and they move to a rural chalet in Switzerland, where they have a son they name Max. Though the three live simply on income from Jean's shares and are very happy together, as a divorced and unemployed ex-pastor Jean is despised in the conservative local community. The Barnery business is faltering, and none of the next generation have the clout to run it. When Jean is sounded out, he immediately accepts to be managing director with a mandate to innovate. Pauline is miserable, knowing that being at the top of any business is tough and that a family business is tougher still, but loyally goes along with his choice. Come the 1914 War, Jean takes no advantage of exemption for health, though weakened by tuberculosis, and serves throughout at the front, while Pauline nurses wounded soldiers. Come the peace, he tries to improve quality and efficiency at the factory and to expand sales in the USA, but profits remain elusive and labour relations tense. While young Max seems on the way to playing a role in the business, his daughter Aline goes off the rails with smoking, drinking, dancing, and staying out all night. Then, in a volte-face, the young woman accepts ordination as a Protestant

deaconess The ministry of a deaconess is, in modern times, a usually non-ordained ministry for women in some Protestant, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox churches to provide pastoral care, especially for other women, and which may carry a limited ...

. The 1929 Slump makes things far worse. Showing an American visitor round the works, Jean has a fall and from then on is confined to his bed, where he eventually dies. In his last moments, he confesses to Pauline that most of his life's effort was in vain and that the one true thing was his love for her.

Cast

Emmanuelle Béart Emmanuelle Béart (born 14 August 1963)
''Tecinema.jeuxactu.com''. Retrieved 21 April 2020. is a F ...

as Pauline Pommerel *

Charles Berling Charles Berling (born 30 April 1958) is a French actor, director and screenwriter. Life and career Charles Berling, son of a navy doctor, is also the nephew of the literary critic Raymond Picard. His mother, Nadia, "only daughter of (French) s ...

as Jean Barnery *

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Described as "one of the best actresses in the world", she is known for her portrayals of cold and disdainful characters devoid of morality. She is the recipient of sev ...

as Nathalie Barnery * Olivier Perrier as Philippe Pommerel *

Dominique Reymond Dominique Reymond (born 12 February 1957) is a French actress. She has appeared in more than seventy films since 1984. She has been to the Geneva Conservatory , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Sa ...

as Julie Desca * André Marcon as Paul Desca * Alexandra London as Louise Desca *

Julie Depardieu Julie Marion Depardieu (born 18 June 1973) is a French actress who has appeared in a number of successful films. Early life Born 18 June 1973 in Paris, she is the daughter of Gérard Depardieu, Gérard and Élisabeth Depardieu and the sister of t ...

as Marcelle *

Louis-Do de Lencquesaing Louis-Do de Lencquesaing (born 25 December 1963) is a French actor and film director. His daughter, Alice de Lencquesaing, is also an actress. Filmography As an actor *''Les dernières heures du millénaire'' (1990, Short) *''Madame Bovary'' ...

as Arthur Pommerel * Valérie Bonneton as Arthur Pommerel's wife *

Pascal Bongard Pascal Bongard is a Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games ...

as Vouzelles *

Didier Flamand Didier Flamand (born 12 March 1947) is a French actor and theatre director. He has appeared in more than 200 films and television shows since 1973. He starred in Raúl Ruiz's 1978 film '' The Suspended Vocation''. Theater Filmography Actor ...

as Guy Barnery * Jean-Baptiste Malartre as Frédéric Barnery * Nicolas Pignon as Bavouzet * Catherine Mouchet as Fernande * Mia Hansen-Løve as Aline

References

External links

* {{Olivier Assayas 2000 films 2000 drama films 2000s French-language films Films directed by Olivier Assayas Films with screenplays by Olivier Assayas French drama films Swiss drama films French-language Swiss films 2000s French films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links