On the eve of the wedding of Ryno de Marigny (Fu'ad Aït Aattou) to the virtuous Hermangarde (Roxane Mesquida), Ryno's mistress of 10 years, the tempestuous Vellini (Asia Argento), refuses to accept that their passionate love affair has come to an end.
The film is the story of their affair, as told to Hermangarde's grandmother, the Marquise de Flers (Claude Sarraute), by Ryno, bookended by the events of the days leading up to and immediately after the marriage.
Special Agent Matti
Despite being called An old mistress (Une vieille maîtresse), this film is not about some toothless old hag who has been left behind by a disinterested lover. Quite the opposite, the mistress is young, prepared to bite and doesn't take to being left behind at all. That's something that the young de Marigny should have kept in mind: if you play with fire you'll get burned.
And that's not the only thing that's hot: Fu'ad Aït Aattou is a French version of James McAvoy (see Becoming Jane) with the perfect blend of wit, charm, intelligence, sex and ennui. His amours, Roxane Mesquida as the passionate mistress and Asia Argento as the high-class wife, are the perfect contrast in feminine beauty. It's no wonder he can't make up his mind. Mind you, with so much blood being drained form his upper brain to his lower brain it's not that big a surprise.
The costumes, the locations, the manners, the times are all exquisitely and Frenchly accurate. If you like a good period French romance then An old mistress (Une vieille maîtresse) is just the ticket.
The drama, France, romance movie An old mistress (Une vieille maîtresse) is directed by Catherine Breillat and stars Fu'ad Aït Aattou, Roxane Mesquida, Asia Argento.
R 18+ (High level sex scenes)
114 minutes (1:54 hours)
Film: 15 November 2007 - Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney
DVD rental: 6 August 2008
DVD retail: 3 December 2008
