So, Saturday night Matt and I were invited to a French movie
premiere – pretty good first date out after baby, right? Though really, what I
should say is that Matt and I were invited and then FAILED TO ATTEND a French
movie premiere, which is probably a more typical first date out after baby.
But I don’t want you to think this was from lack of trying.
Even though I toyed with the thought of having our date be “sleeping in our bed
while Matt’s parents look after Sophia”, which sounded like the best date ever to
me, Matt vetoed my impulse to be a homebody and I actually put on contacts and
makeup and we left the house. I was feeling pretty good about myself – so what
if I still apparently look pregnant enough for men to offer me their seats on
the metro?
Anyway, so the movie we were invited to was another one
produced by my friend Eugenie’s husband Michael, a real rising star in the world
of French cinema. Last year he produced Julie Delpy’s latest film LE SKYLAB,
which I went to the premiere of in September, and now following on the heels of
that, he’s got this high profile film called L’AMOUR DURE TROIS ANS, or Love
Lasts Three Years, based on a book by Frederic Beigbeder. Never heard of him?
Don’t worry, neither had I – though he is a HUGE deal here in France, kind of a
literary bad boy along the lines of Jay McInerney, but with real writing chops.
Plus, he DIRECTED this adaptation of his book himself, making the whole thing
even more highly anticipated.
Now, I have been to many premieres in the US as part of my
job, and they’re usually decently organized – you’ve got a red carpet/ press
line area for the important people – the actors, the people who worked on the
film, etc – and then another line for the industry peons like me, where we can
quietly get into the theater and get checked on the RSVP list by some bored PR
flak without being in the way.
Not so, apparently, at this French premiere – More on this, plus my top films of 2011, after the jump.
