At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, celebrated French actress Isabelle Huppert received the prestigious TIFF Tribute Performer Award. Her latest film, All About Corinne, also made headlines as it was one of the first films from the festival to secure U.S. distribution, being acquired by Cohen Media Group. The film is delightfully engaging and showcases one of Huppert’s most notable recent performances.
The film All About Corinne draws its English title from the 1950 Oscar-winning movie All About Eve, and parallels its narrative approach. In the film, Huppert’s character, Corinne Maclou, is an experienced French movie extra who aspires to land speaking roles. She forms a friendship with Sandrine Kiberlain, who plays herself and is the lead actress in the movie Corinne is working on. Unlike All About Eve’s Broadway setting, this story unfolds within the French cinema industry, and Corinne, unlike Eve, is significantly older. The film cleverly pays tribute to the original.
Having premiered in North America at TIFF following its global debut at the Locarno Film Festival, All About Corinne is a creation of writer-director Marc Fitoussi. Fitoussi has previously worked with Huppert on several projects including the 2007 film La Vie D’Artiste, the 2014 film Paris Follies, and an episode of the popular series Call My Agent. In this series, Huppert and other renowned French cinema figures humorously portrayed their own personas. Fitoussi directed six episodes of the series, and his film also blends fictional elements with reality. The cast includes not only Kiberlain but also Anne Marivin, director Emmanuelle Bercot, Diane Kruger, Ana Girardot, Vincent Dedienne, Thomas Jolly, and Hugo Becker, all playing themselves.
At the heart of the story is the entirely fictional character Corinne, brought vividly to life by Huppert. Corinne is a background actress, often unnoticed and unappreciated, known for her assertive nature on set where she frequently distributes her resume to directors and leading actors. Despite her boldness on set, off the set she is relatively unrecognized, taking pride in acting in a local play by a Chilean playwright, which she hopes will be broadcasted on television someday. Her life takes a turn when, after a scene is cut, she attempts to connect with Kiberlain, who is wary of Corinne’s pushy reputation. However, events unfold that lead Kiberlain to eventually accept Corinne’s resume and review her performance in the play.
When another extra suggests Corinne try her hand at opera or theater for a more dignified type of extra work, Corinne discovers that Kiberlain is performing the Chilean play she had once starred in, using the link Corinne provided. Feeling betrayed yet determined, Corinne confronts Kiberlain, who, despite feeling slightly guilty, does not apologize, citing her status as a major star. Nevertheless, Kiberlain invites Corinne into her professional circle, even employing her as an acting coach based on her insightful advice. As Kiberlain prepares for a new film in Morocco, she promises to recommend Corinne to the renowned director Emmanuelle Bercot. Although the cast is already set, Bercot offers Corinne a role as her wardrobe dresser, setting the stage for unexpected developments.
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Huppert’s performance is both subtly comedic and dramatically intense, capturing the essence of Corinne’s struggle and determination amidst real-life cinema stars. Fitoussi’s portrayal of the often overlooked and unappreciated world of movie extras is both humorous and touching, highlighting the real talent that frequently goes unnoticed. Corinne embodies the relentless spirit of an underdog fighting to establish her place in the film industry.
The film features a cast that adeptly presents fictionalized versions of themselves, with notable performances by Marivin and Bercot. The film is set to open in France next month.
Title: All About Corinne
Festival: Toronto (Gala Presentations)
Distributor: Cohen Media Group (U.S.)
Director-screenwriter: Marc Fitoussi
Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Sandrine Kiberlain, Anne Marivin, Emmanuelle Bercot, Diane Kruger, Ana Girardot, Vincent Dedienne, Thomas Jolly, Hugo Becker
Running time: 1 hr 53 mins
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