Il est plus facile pour un chameau... (2003)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi

Writers:

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (writer)
Noémie Lvovsky (writer)

Release Date:

16 April 2003 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

As a little girl, Federica fantasized about having beautiful long hair that would grow back as soon as she cut it...

Plot Keywords:

Guilt | Playwright | Wealth | Flashback Sequence | Church

Awards:

4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi	...	Federica
Chiara Mastroianni	...	Bianca
Jean-Hugues Anglade	...	Pierre
Denis Podalydès	...	Philippe
Marysa Borini	...	Mother
Roberto Herlitzka	...	Father
Lambert Wilson	...	Aurelio
Pascal Bongard	...	Priest
Nicolas Briançon	...	Director
Yvan Attal	...	Man in Park
Emmanuelle Devos	...	Philippe's Wife
Karine Silla	...	Céline
Alma Samel	...	Child Federica
Uta Samel	...	Child Bianca
Victor Nebbiolo	...	Child Aurelio

Also Known As:

È più facile per un cammello... (Italy)
Au royaume des cieux (France) (working title)
It's Easier for a Camel... (International: English title)
Le paradis sur terre (France) (working title)
Moi aussi je suis communiste (France) (working title)

Runtime:

110 min | Japan:105 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French | Italian | Spanish | English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M | Germany:6 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich)

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Gémini Films

Trivia:

The character of "Federica" is based on Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's real life experiences as daughter of a rich family.

Poor little rich girl

Yes, this film is a charmer, albeit a very strange one. So strange that even critics don't get it - for example, see Reel Film Reviews under "External Reviews". To begin with the obvious: Federica is rich. Richer than most of us can imagine being. So rich her mother tells her kids: "You have no right to cry, you've got everything." She goes through life with a sense of guilt, asking herself what she's done to deserve such wealth, and how she can justify her existence and avoid becoming a useless parasite.

Our not-quite-heroine chooses to write plays, learn ballet and be nice to everyone. She never outgrows the well-behaved little girl she was long ago, retaining a permanent smile and a squeaky voice. Even her boyfriend is a near-perfect embodiment of her bad conscience: a socialist history teacher who sings the "International" at the wheel of her Jaguar. Naturally, Federica joins right in. Even when they quarrel after he tells her he considers her writing a hobby, not work, she doesn't really defend herself. Instead, she keeps having escapist fantasies of a perfect world where rich and poor live in harmony. The "ridiculous" episode mentioned in the Reel Film review, where her parents have a congenial dinner with her kidnappers, is obviously such a fantasy, and meant to be absurd.

Apparently, the actor-director drew heavily on her own life for this story. Her own wealthy family moved to Paris after the Red Brigades started abducting rich kids. Federica's mother is played by Bruni-Tedeschi's real mother (and God knows how she got her to do it!). I admire the director for the courage it must have taken to make a film so personal, and with so much potential for misunderstanding and ridicule. I also admire the actress for her precarious charm. Do go see this one if you have a Really Rich friend who agonizes over money. Thereafter, please present said friend with a bio of George Soros.