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Simply Perfect

Brilliant and touching

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This film consists of the memories of the famous musician, Marin Marais (Gerard Depardieu), reminiscing about an even greater musician, Monsieur de Sainte Colombe. Now understand, these were real French musicians from the 17th and 18th century, but apparently very, very little is known about Colombe and the story is from a novel consisting of lots of conjecture by Pascal Quignard...so don't accept this as the gospel!Monsieur de Sainte Colombe (Jean-Pierre Marielle) is a very strange man--an angry weirdo, certainly. His wife died young and unexpectedly and his reaction is odd to say the least. He gave up his work and retreated to his shabby country home with his two young daughters. The home is a rather joyless place though he eventually taught his daughters to play the Viol de Gambon...a seven-stringed musical instrument popular during this era. Over time, they became brilliant at playing and they established quite the reputation...so much so that he is invited to court to play for King Louis XIV. But he is an oddball and so he steadfastly refuses...only playing a yearly concert for locals and otherwise living his simple life. Into this very mundane world comes a young Marin Marais (played here by Gerard's real life son, Guillaume). He begs Colombe to take him on as a student...something he never did before, aside from teaching his two daughters. And, briefly they work together though it ultimately ends in tragedy...and what that is you'll just have to see for yourself.If you are wanting to see a happy and uplifting movie, this is NOT for you. Much of the film is very somber and depressing, though the music is also quite lovely. However, it is well made though I am apprehensive to heartily recommend it for two reasons. First, it's not exactly a fun film and is incredibly somber...and some may now want to see such a movie. Second, the film does much to make Marais look like a total jerk...and is that hardly fair to the man's memory considering the story is essentially fiction??

Tous Les matins Du Monde is extremely delightful,satisfying and fulfilled not only as colors, frames, photography, music, calligraphy ,but also as script,dialogs,acting.Corneau's proficiency of the plastic is amazing.The calming images are not a less important "character" in this movie than the music.Some colors are delightfully warm;others are cold. Its Callophily and calmness of mind is that of the Dutch painters.(Some of the frames are direct,explicit quotations and do homage to their pictorial sources.)Still,the "substance" is meaningful and as rich as the "style" (if this dichotomy could be acceptable).Tous Les matins Du Monde is not at all empty formalism,but an inquiry into the heart's depths.This depth is not fake;its secret warmth touches the heart;the things said about music are not conventional.The plastic is Dutch.Ste. Colombe is sullen,Dumpish,brutal,peeved and surly,but his daughters (Manon and the younger Toinette) are sunny and sweet-tempered.Madeleine/Manon's eyes are piercing.Marais is a vulgarian;ambitious,cruel,in-satiate,he has,at first,no far-sightedness,but is greedy and trivial;hot-blooded,but superficial.Little by little,through music,through life,he humanizes.The final,touching "Marais",played by THE Depardieu,is humble;truly humble.Now,he tastes,he sips the essential.(It is very relevant that both Marielle and G. Depardieu have sensual,earthly faces.)He gives his mind to music.This Marais is the one called by the very ill Manon who wants to pay him out.Ste. Colombe puts confidence in Marais,after he gave it him hot several times.Who would have thought that Marais and Ste. Colombe will come to be,now,two of a kind?The contemplation,the deepening gets the concreteness of an act of feeding.Marais meets two exceptional human beings:Monsieur De Ste. Colombe,and his elder daughter,"Manon" (Mrs. Anne Brochet).Marais' misfortune is to be unable to love people.Manon's misfortune is to be too able to love. Ste. Colombe's happiness is to love (his wife,played by Mrs. Caroline Sihol).It is obvious that Tous Les matins Du Monde is a movie about the human heart,about the hidden coherence of the life,about the secret roundness of history when life is lived in search of objective and firm values.Tous Les matins Du Monde is one of the very few movies successful in expressing a highly developed interior life.Horrid things are narrated in a suave,heart-rending way.The music we listen to,the plastic quality of the frames we see,the acting we watch,the dialogs we hear--The movie's meanings are shown,and don't need to be explained here.Mrs. Anne Brochet acted in Cyrano De Bergerac as well.Mistake not. Those pleasures are not pleasures that trouble the quiet and tranquility of thy life.--JEREMY TAYLOR.Mental pleasures never cloy; unlike those of the body, they are increased by repetition, approved of by reflection, and strengthened by enjoyment.--COLTON.Some of the fathers went so far as to esteem the love of music a sign of predestination; as a thing divine, and reserved for the felicities of heaven itself.--SIR W. TEMPLE.Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.--BEETHOVEN.

This could be the perfect movie. Visually, it's like walking through a seventeenth-century French painting. The music is rich and beautiful -- through it, we were introduced to the work of St Colombe and Marin Marais. The acting, as one would expect of French films in the the 1980s and 1990s, is consummate, and the characterization is totally convincing: the first five minutes of 'Tous les Matins du Monde'are memorable, the very best of Gerard Depardieu and French cinematography and music. The film progresses at its own speed, with the happiness, sadness, and (nostalgic) sensitivity which also characterize the Pagnol films. Could be? Is!

A truly amazing movie with Gerard Depardieu at his best. He creates an atmosphere by a single look, rules the screen whenever he is on. Surprisingly, even his wash-out son, the poor Guillaume couldn't manage to do any harm to this throat-gripping tale. Nevertheless, the film is far less pleasure for the hearing impaired as the music is the real hot shot of this movie. It is simply unforgettable. All the Mornings of the World is not a mass movie (though it had an incredible success, 2 million people saw it in France alone). It is slow, action-free and cathartically sad with a very special classical kind of soundtrack for the movie connoisseurs.