Learning to Drive -- a woman transitioning to a new life

I really enjoyed this film with Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley. It was directed by Isabel Coixet and based on an essay written by Katha Pollitt.

Wendy (played by Patricia Clarkson) is going through the process of separation and divorce from her husband Ted (played by Jake Weber) to whom she's been married for 21 years. A visit from her daughter Tasha (played by Grace Gummer )leads to her decision to learn how to drive. At the beginning, she's ambivalent because her husband was the one who always drove and she believed that it was still possible that he might come back to her.

Ben Kingsley portrays Darwan, the Indian driving instructor who teaches her to drive. As Wendy goes through divorcing her husband, Darwan transitions into becoming a married man when he goes through with an arranged marriage to Jasleen (played by Sarita Choudhury). It's funny, touching and thought-provoking. Wendy's learning to drive is also a great metaphor for her transition into her new life as a divorced woman. I truly enjoyed this film!

Interesting little facts about actors in this film:

Both Sarita Choudhury and Ben Kingsley are half-Indian and half-English in descent.

Ben Kingsley's current wife Daniela Lavender has a small role in this film as Mata.

Some quotes from this film:

"Remember driving is a freedom. I wish you to enjoy every kind of freedom, as long as you don't hurt someone. Will you promise me?"---Darwan to young driving student

"You inform me in a public place so I can't make a scene, and you thought that would work?"--Wendy to Ted

"Why not? Why can't you drive? I don't understand this."--Tasha to her mother Wendy

"We've weathered this before. Every seven years, the itch comes over him. He gets restless, does something juvenile. So, at 21 years, we're on our third itch. Or it's male menopause. Instead of buying a motorcycle, Daddy decided to give adultery a spin."---Wendy to Tasha

"You like to help? That's impossible. You can't be from New York."---Wendy to Darwan

"What? Nobody likes Delia Kraus?"---Wendy

"She ploughed through half the faculty. We all said Delia Kraus would fuck gravel."---Wendy

"Come sit in the car, the driver's seat. So you'll get used to it."---Darwan to Wendy

"I never learned to cook because I thought my mother would always be there to cook for me. Then there was half a world between us, and so I make my own food."---Darwan to Wendy

"Well, you have to go forward now because I haven't taught you how to back up."---Darwan to Wendy

"I think in your head, you think you're still in prison, Uncle D."---Preet to Darwan

"The driver's biggest problem is everyone else. You can't always trust people to behave properly."---Darwan to Wendy

"Don't talk Wendy. When you talk you don't see. Watch the light."---Darwan to Wendy

"Well Hallelujah, sis. You know, it's about time you started driving."---Debbie to her sister Wendy

"It's way too much work. Oh, my God, why do you think they call it a job?"--Debbie to Wendy

"I am that house! It's like asking me to move out of me!"---Wendy to her attorney

"Every day people try to push your buttons. You don't engage with them, especially when you drive."---Darwan to Wendy

"I think it's time to discuss road rage. You must learn to be clam and relaxed, not only to drive, but in your life as well.---Darwan to Wendy

"Look at me. It doesn't matter what is going on in your life out there, you must shut it out. When you are here, when you're at the wheel of a car, this is all there is.Your life right now. So take care of it, please. ---Darwan to Wendy

"Since when did you become a lap dancer?"--Ted to Wendy

"Please don't make me do this!"---Wendy to Darwan

"It's about time you took the wheel. Look, a car is the greatest thing in the history of human invention. Forget your house. You can move in here."--Wendy's Dad to Wendy

"Look here is America."---Darwan to Jasleen, while driving through a parking garage

"Yes, you are better off! That is why you are alone and crazy."---Darwan to Wendy

"Love is the one road to God. God doesn't want anyone to be alone."---Darwan to Wendy

"I don't know what I believed about marriage. Except that it would always be there."---Wendy to Darwan

"I love these dude dance metaphors coming from a Connecticut matron."---Wendy to Debbie

"You don't know how much I envy you. I'd love nothing more than to live a life of the mind."---Peter to Wendy

"Very good. You only need a little courage and a little gas."---Darwan to Wendy

"When I was 14, my baba took me out of school."--Jasleen to Darwan

"Wendy, don't forget what I know. You are a very determined woman."---Darwan to Wendy


Some scenes from this film:

Here's the trailer for this film:

Gilles' Wife --La Femme de Gilles

This intense film by director Frederic Fonteyne stars Emmanuelle Devos as Elisa, a woman who does her best to cope while her husband Gilles (played by Clovis Cornillac) is having an affair with her younger sister Victorine (played by Laura Smet). The literal translation of the title from French is "The Wife/Woman of Gilles."

If you want a fast-paced film with lots of action, this is NOT the film for you. But if you want a film that's beautiful (the use of light is amazing!) and sensitively tells the story of a marriage with infidelity, then this is definitely a film for you to see. Emmanuelle Devos is brilliant in this role of a wife who is still loving, devoted and demonstrating much patience while her husband carries on an affair with her younger sister.

Elisa has clues that there's an affair going on. Only when Gilles acts extremely jealous and aggressive at a dance, it becomes clear that he has feelings for Victorine.

Gilles has a full life with a night job at a foundry, his wife Elisa, two young daughters and a third child on the way. But it's not clear if his infidelity is a habit or a phase he's going through because of his own self-dissatisfaction. It might even be possible that he's going through an early mid-life crisis. But her sister is younger, more sophisticated and different. Men passing by compare her to Mistinguett. So maybe Gilles attraction to her is because she's different and not so familiar and available like his wife?

Here's a video which features Mistinguett singing Mon Homme, a song that is also played in this film:



This film was very well-cast, as the two actresses who portray sisters look very similar and the dynamic between them is believable. The cinematography is also quite creative.

By the way, in French, the name Gilles is pronounced without the 's' somewhat like "Jeel" ('J' is pronounced like "Jill") not "Geel."

Some quotes from this film:

"Cover yourself!"---Elisa to Victorine.

"Smoke? Nothing better to kill a woman."---Elisa to Gilles, who is a smoker

"You'll get over your little fling."---Elisa to Gilles

"If I didn't love her, I wouldn't have all these feelings."---Gilles

"If I yell at him, he will leave. I know him. So I can't...Father, I need help.I don't know. I don't know what to do."---Elisa to priest in confessional

"I was a complete jerk to you."---Gilles to Elisa and to which she replies, "Not completely, if you can say that."

"Well, if you knew, you really should have kept your husband at home."---Victorine to Elisa


Some scenes from this film:

Here's the trailer for this film:

Love is All You Need

The original title ("Den Skaldede Frisor") of this Danish film directed by Susanne Bier literally translates as "The Bald Hairdresser." BTW, Susanne Bier has done some very interesting films. I'll mention some more directed by her in future posts.

Ida, (portrayed wonderfully by Danish actress Trine Dyrholm) the heroine of this film is in fact a bald hairdresser, hence the original Danish title.   She wears a blond wig to hide her bald head, a symptom of her cancer treatment. She comes home to find her husband Leif (Kim Bodnia) engaged "in action" on their living room couch with another woman.

Meanwhile, Trine's daughter  Astrid (played by Molly Blixt Egelind) is in Italy with her fiancé Patrick (played by Sebastian Jessen) preparing for their wedding at his family's Italian home.

By accident, Ida meets the Phillip (played by Pierce Brosnan, who even though he's getting older is still quite dashingly handsome!), father of her daughter's fiancé. Be sure to check out the car that Ida is driving.

I found this to be a very enjoyable film with humor, drama, romance and intrigue. It qualifies as a multilingual film with English, Danish and Italian. Those who love color and scenery, will enjoy the lovely scenery in the Italian locations. Watch for the recurring images of lemons and roses.

BTW, Trine along with another Danish actor, who I find quite intriguing,  is in another film that I'll be reviewing soon

Some quotes from the film:

“I doubt he’s even noticed one of them is missing.” ---Ida talking about her breasts

“Bitten, you gorgeous, beautiful, sweet girl. This is never gonna happen. I am a guy who has chosen to be by himself. Simple as that. ---Philip

“You’re doing her on my mom’s couch, while I’m fighting for my life.”---Ida

“You’re so emotional. You got your finger up your bum and your brain in neutral.”—Patrick


“Let me quote Henry Miller, You can never get nor give enough love. And to quote Herman Bang, Indifference is love’s most painful dregs.”---Benedikte

Conversation:

“I really don’t understand why anybody will work for you. When you’re so awful and stupid and not nice.”---Ida


“I pay them good money.”---Philip

Here are some scenes from this film:

Here's the trailer: