A Girl Cut in Two—A Century-Old Story Told Anew

As the iconic 20th century filmmakers age, the theme of May-December romance inevitably marks their work. “A Girl Cut in Two” by Claude Chabrol is based on Evelyn Nesbit-Stanford White-Harry Thaw Gilded Age love triangle, but one does not have to be familiar with the historic reference to enjoy this well-directed and exquisitely performed French film. Ludivine Sagnier, best known for her roles in Francois Ozon’s “8 Women” and “Swimming Pool” plays the role of Gabrielle Deneige—a TV weather girl who becomes speedily promoted to a talk show host and gets noticed by the Canal+ producers. Not only her career picks up nicely, a young millionaire courts her and dreams only of marrying her—not bad for a daughter of a struggling single mother who works for a bookshop and does not have much life of her own. As it happens mostly in French movies, often based on amazing true stories, love conquers all, sometimes to the detriment of all involved. Mlle Deneige falls madly in love with an aged intellectual, and thus starts her road to the velvet hell of twisted romance and to her ultimate career change. After all is said and done, she becomes a girl cut in two—this time in an ironic physical mirroring of her moral dilemma. Opens September 12 at the Lumiere Theatre in SF and Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley. More info at: http://www.ifcfilms.com/