L'Étoile du Nord (1982)
Genre: Crime / Drama
Duration: 124 minuten
Alternative titles: The North Star / Nachttrein
Country:
France
Directed by: Pierre Granier-Deferre
Stars: Simone Signoret, Philippe Noiret and Fanny Cottençon
IMDb score:
6,5 (705)
Releasedate: 31 March 1982
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
L'Étoile du Nord plot
After the death of Jasmina, a great Egyptian singer admired by all, Edouard (Philippe Noiret) leaves Alexandrie to return to France. On the boat he meets Sylvie (Fanny Cottençon), a woman without much morals, who likes adventurous games. He becomes her lover and accompanies her to Belgium. They decide to rent a room in Charleroi, with the somewhat surly landlady Mma Baron (Simone Signoret). Then the problems begin.
Actors and actresses
Mme Louise Baron
Edouard Binet
Sylvie Baron
Antoinette Baron
Jasmina
Nemrod Lobetoum
Valesco
L'ingénieur
Albert
Moïse
Reviews & comments
Fransman
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- 3060 messages
- 2299 votes
A beautiful film. But perhaps you need to be a bit older to appreciate it. A cinematic gem with the contrasts between the images of Egypt, the pyramids, and the Nile, and the shots in Wallonia, the mines, and the grimy Charleroi, where Madame Baron (Simone Signoret) runs her pension and slowly develops some compassion for Edouard (Philippe Noiret). A joy to watch these two greats of French cinema.
It was Simone Signoret's last role. She wasn't even that old, 64 when she died. Philippe Noiret is no longer with us either. But it is not just nostalgia you are watching. The story, a sort of psychological thriller, is cleverly constructed, with characters that are difficult to categorize. The atmosphere of 1934 comes across as authentic, with references to the near-civil war in the Parisian streets at the beginning of that year. Pay particular attention to the furnishing of the rooms and the kitchen in the boarding house; so skillfully done, flawless, and with great attention to detail. This film is a joy to watch.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Movsin
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- 8358 messages
- 8456 votes
Pierre Granier-Deferre filmed Georges Simenon's "Le Locataire" and chose Philippe Noiret and Simone Signoret as the lead actors. He could not have done better, for both deliver a flawless performance; moreover, in their joint scenes they are truly sublime.
How far can someone's affection go, even against their better judgment? An impression that lingers after this ultimately psychological drama, in which much attention is also paid to emotion and the observation of universal human traits, and where the atmosphere and imagery are certainly impressive.
Translated from Dutch · View original
ZAP!
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- 5595 messages
- 3702 votes
I can still clearly remember that in the 90s, we could rent a VHS tape at the rural video store for 7 guilders and 50 cents a day. Those were the newest titles that had arrived, the so-called "day movies," and for 5 guilders you could rent an older title that you were allowed to keep for five days. Now there is Netflix, where for 10 euros a month I could watch dozens of movies (and series) if I wanted to—as many as I have time for, really. And then they say that everything is just getting more expensive. 
So now I've finally been able to see 'L'Etoile du Nord' (the name of a specific night train, loosely translated as 'The Star of the North' or perhaps 'The North Star' is meant; in any case, it concerns the train that runs from Paris to Amsterdam). I had expected a much grayer, more serious, and smaller film—I don't know exactly why, certainly not after rereading the review by Fransman, which already sets a pretty good indication of what to expect. User david bohm also hits the nail on the head when he says that the film is not very compelling or exciting.
Still, I quite enjoyed the back-and-forth in time and locations, the likeable acting of Signoret and Noiret, and the atmospheric cinematography and settings.
A solid six.
P.S.: the credibility of Édouard's amnesia doesn't come across very strongly.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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