Algebra & Fire, Sandrine Kimberlain as Simoe de Beauvoir, Devos as Violette Leduc
Martin Provost directed Violette. See Violette trailer here (youtube)
Simone de Beauvoir and Sandrine Kimberlin (Jean Genet appeared in Violette but Sartre and Nelson Algren were mentioned briefly in the film)
Sandrine Kiberlain is superb as Simone de Beauvoir – demanding, principled and controlled. Emmanuelle Devos is even better as penniless, neurotic Violette Leduc, who arrives like a stalker on De Beauvoir’s doorstep with the dog-eared manuscript of her unpublished novel, L’Asphyxie (or Imprisoned in My Skin).
In 1942 she met Maurice Sachs and Simone de Beauvoir, who encouraged her to write. Her first novel, L’Asphyxie (In the Prison of Her Skin), was published by Albert Camus for Éditions Gallimard and earned her praise from Jean-Paul Sartre, Jean Cocteau and Jean Genet.
The great Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges once described poetry as “algebra and fire.” The same is true of politics. Watching Violette, you’re reminded that the women’s movement was born not only of theories about equality and justice — the algebra — but of the fire of personal testimony, the willingness of women to say what they had thought and felt for centuries but never fully dared say before. Such willingness is what Violette Leduc possessed, what Beauvoir recognized, and what eventually made her books best-selling touchstones for women in France. Sure, it also made her miserable to be around, but then again, likability isn’t everything. (via)
Mademoiselle Chambon
Volcanic Emotions – Film Notes.
Martin Provost previous film (Seraphine)