BENVENUTA

Belgian director Andre Delvaux's well-rounded background includes study of the law, piano and composition in addition to teaching literature and philosophy. A film director since 1966, his most recent film prior to BENVENUTA was 1980's “To Woody Allen From Europe With Love.” Art imitates life as BENVENUTA, based on a scandalous novel published anonymously 20 years ago, deals with a screenwriter's attempt to construct a scenario about a passionate love affair described in a novel that also caused a scandal in the past. Francois, the writer (Mathieu Carriere), visits the reclusive novelist Jeanne (Francoise Fabian) in Ghent to learn more about Livio and Benvenuta, the characters in her novel. Aloof and hostile, Jeanne denies that there is any truth to her “memoirs.” As Francois persists, she softens and her story, heightened by Francois' fanciful imagination, is revealed in flashback. Benvenuta (Fanny Ardant) is a pianist whose erotic liaison with Livio (Vittorio Gassman) in Belgium and Italy is so intense it becomes a mystical experience. Jeanne and Francois' relationship echoes the real/imaginary past in this very romantic tale blended with sophisticated humor. Ardant and Gassman ignite sparks with their “amour fou” in roles that seem made for them. Delvaux plays a Bunuel-like game with the rituals of religion and love and double entendre. “A possible candidate to become this year's 'Diva.'” – Roger Ebert, The Gazette -USA Premiere-