Review #16 | "Gemma Bovery" (2014)

Director Anne Fontaine's English and French-language adaptation of author Posey Simmond's re-imagining of Flaubert's classic novel "Madame Bovery" distorts the lines between reality, literature, time, and geography. In 2015, we are living in the midst of a literature revolution where many classic novels loved by generations past (and still loved today) are being adapted across a mirage of media. YouTube has seen an explosion of web series which have developed many famous works into the television of the internet. Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Frankenstein, and so many more have been published for a modern audience. It is refreshing to see the kind of creativity Simmonds and others have been producing for decades now is finally making more headway on the big screen. "Gemma Bovery" is unique in that it consistently pays homage to the original work. At no point in "Gemma Bovery" are we allowed to forget the source material for Simmond's comic. For this genre and the purposes of the script, it would be blasphemy if we were allowed to forget the origins of the art that has been passed down to our generation.

"Gemma Bovery" is set in Normandy where Flaubert wrote his original material. Martin Joubert is an older gentleman who came back home from Paris with his family a handful of years in exposition to take over his father's bakery. "Bread is life," he says to Gemma, something one should keep in mind throughout the film, otherwise it just looks like Gemma has a strange obsession with smelling bread. Although I could do without the slightly disturbing sexual obsession Martin has with Gemma, Fabrice Luchini wonderful to watch onscreen. Non-European audiences should just keep in mind the differences in culture and not think too much of them. Martin (Luchini) becomes enthralled when history seems to be repeating itself with the arrival of his new neighbors Gemma and Charles Bovery. Thus, the story begins.

The production centers around the notion that the audience should buy into the theme of recurrence - that the story unfolds independently yet in unison with the source material which the characters are aware of. However, where Fontaine's production takes this theme to another level is the choice to cast Gemma Arterton as Madame Gemma Bovery. The Madame Bovery in Flaubert's novel is named "Emma" and Simmonds adapted the name to "Gemma" when her comic was as a serial on The Guardian and later in print in 1999. The casting of a lead actress with the same name in a production with a concept of recurrence is a coincidence which hums with the creative chills artists love, and usually happen by chance. Gemma Arterton is sugar and spice in this film - one of her best performances to date! You may recognize her from films such as "Prince of Persia" and "Hansel and Gretel" (let's not talk about "H&G," shall we?), but don't be fooled by these fantasy films. Arterton can deliver diversity and insight on a dime, making her so versatile and electric. She get's it, she gets how to develop this unique character which is literally part of herself, Gemma Bovery, and Madame Bovery- that's why the transcendence and/or reincarnation concept works for this film.

Aside from an out-of-place, almost farcical climax and lacking denouement, "Gemma Bovery" delivers fun and mesmerizing performances from the actors that matter. Everything else can fade into the background, however, the respect for both pieces of source material of this film adds a dreamlike quality to an otherwise mainstream plot and creative concept.

If you're looking for a performance to watch for some notes on internalizing emotion, actresses (and actors, too) can turn to Gemma Arterton as Gemma Bovery for some good notes. Also, if you just want to get some culture into your day, foreign films are always a good way to go about it.

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"Gemma Bovery" is rated "R" for sexuality/nudity and language. Runs 99 mins.

Directed by Anne Fontaine. Written by Pascal Bonitzer (screenplay), Anne Fontaine (screenplay), and Posey Simmonds ("Gemma Bovery"). With Fabrice Luchini (Martin Joubert), Gemma Arterton (Gemma Bovery), Jason Flemyng (Charles Bovery), and Niels Schneider (Hervé de Bressigny).