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DramaRomance

Betty Blue

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A lackadaisical handyman and aspiring novelist tries to support his younger girlfriend as she slowly succumbs to madness.

Release Date : 1986-04-09

Language :French

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Cargo FilmsConstellation ProductionsCNC

Production Country : France

Alternative Titles : 37.2 Degrees in the Morning

Cast

Jean-Hugues Anglade

Character Name : Zorg

Original Name : Jean-Hugues Anglade

Gender : Male

Béatrice Dalle

Character Name : Betty

Original Name : Béatrice Dalle

Gender : Female

Gérard Darmon

Character Name : Eddy

Original Name : Gérard Darmon

Gender : Male

Consuelo De Haviland

Character Name : Lisa

Original Name : Consuelo De Haviland

Gender : Female

Clémentine Célarié

Character Name : Annie

Original Name : Clémentine Célarié

Gender : Female

Jacques Mathou

Character Name : Bob

Original Name : Jacques Mathou

Gender : Male

Vincent Lindon

Character Name : Richard, the Young Policeman

Original Name : Vincent Lindon

Gender : Male

Catherine D'At

Character Name : Pizzeria Customer

Original Name : Catherine D'At

Gender : Male

Claude Aufaure

Character Name : Doctor

Original Name : Claude Aufaure

Gender : Male

Louis Bellanti

Character Name : Mario

Original Name : Louis Bellanti

Gender : Male

Dominique Besnehard

Character Name : Pizzeria Customer

Original Name : Dominique Besnehard

Gender : Male

Raoul Billerey

Character Name : The Old Policeman

Original Name : Raoul Billerey

Gender : Male

Nathalie Dalyan

Character Name : Maria

Original Name : Nathalie Dalyan

Gender : Male

Nicolas Jalowyj

Character Name : Little Nicolas

Original Name : Nicolas Jalowyj

Gender : Male

André Julien

Character Name : Old Georges

Original Name : André Julien

Gender : Male

Daniel Millot

Character Name :

Original Name : Daniel Millot

Gender : Male

Marthe Moudiki-Moreau

Character Name :

Original Name : Marthe Moudiki-Moreau

Gender : Male

Robin Bernard

Character Name : Second Tenant

Original Name : Robin Bernard

Gender : Female

Claude Confortès

Character Name : Owner of the Bungalows

Original Name : Claude Confortès

Gender : Male

Philippe Laudenbach

Character Name : Editor

Original Name : Philippe Laudenbach

Gender : Male

Léonie Berthuit

Character Name : Death

Original Name : Léonie Berthuit

Gender : Male

Frédéric Caratini

Character Name : Archie

Original Name : Frédéric Caratini

Gender : Male

Raymond Julien

Character Name : Dead Old Man

Original Name : Raymond Julien

Gender : Male

Jacky Galibert

Character Name : Muscular Nurse

Original Name : Jacky Galibert

Gender : Male

Simon de La Brosse

Character Name :

Original Name : Simon de La Brosse

Gender : Male

Dominique Pinon

Character Name : Surfer

Original Name : Dominique Pinon

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-08-21

"Betty" (Béatrice Dalle) and "Zorg" (Jean-Hugues Anglade) live a happy-go-lucky life au bord de la mer. Their utopian existence is thrown into chaos by her relationship with his demanding boss who needs all of their bungalows painted in return for the rent to be waived. She then proceeds to throw one of the best strops in cinema before they head off to stay with one of her friends whose boyfriend has just inherited a piano store and that's where our loveable duo end up. They still have their heads in the clouds and when they are not walking around naked, or having sex, or drinking wine - he is supposed to be writing a book. Ha! Fat chance - especially as we almost imperceptibly, at first, begin to realise that "Betty" is becoming unwell. Her grasp of things isn't what it was and her character changes into something poor old "Zorg" struggles to reconcile with - despite his undying love for her. We are seeing things from both perspectives here and that's where the film comes alive. Their respective rationales become ambiguous, their behaviour more erratic - indeed their whole way of life that has been so successfully unstructured thus far might now be the very thing that's making things difficult, maybe even impossible, as the denouement threatens tragedy. There's a great deal of nudity but after about five minutes that is, as so often happens in European cinema, subsumed into a story that is characterful and strong. It does suggest love, lust and joy, but latterly it begins to suggest something else - a vulnerability. It's a bit on the long side but by half an hour in, Dalle has managed to hook the audience and maybe because of them or maybe despite them, I felt that I wanted something good for them. Happiness, contentment, love - all things that prove tantalisingly out of their reach. Can they attain something fulfilling? It mixes the light and fluffy with the intriguing and occasionally quite thought-provoking, and shows us both sides of a coin of helplessness that's quite poignant at times to watch.