Peter Saracen

It is hard to take your eyes off Catherine De Neuve with her luminous beauty even at an advanced age. And the family life story played out in a film studio and emotionally affecting De Neuve as mother and daughter-the excellent Juliette Binoche-is captivating. However, there is a cleverness in the sci-fi film De Neuve is making because she plays her own daughter getting old while the mother played by a young rising star remains young by living outside of the planet Earth. Underlying the making of the film is De Neuve's betrayal of her best friend to grab a screen role many years earlier which increasingly haunts her. Particularly, as the young rising star reminds her of Sara, that best friend. Though, the film is seemingly complex it retains a poignant and fascinating simplicity.Though, Binoche and Ethan Hawke as he r husband provide excellent support it is De Neuve's movie, dominating as the diva, Fabienne and when the character asks "am I washed up as an actress" it could never apply to the magnificent actress that is Catherine De Neuve playing, one hopes, an utterly ruthless version of herself.

Don't be put off the irritating title song or that this film noir is billed as a comedy. Sure it has a witty, sometimes effervescent script but it does get serious as one event threatens the livelihood of a comedy actress,very convincingly played by the gorgeous Rosalind Russell when the less than gorgeous but overwhelming presence of Sydney Greenstreet enters the scene as a police chief. How things for her can change in a heartbeat and moment of frustration and rage. Becomes, ultimately, a question of conscience as the film's final reel throws direct parallels with the play, Hedda Gabler.