Directed by:
Francis GirodScreenplay:
Georges ConchonCinematography:
Bernard ZitzermannComposer:
Ennio MorriconeCast:
Romy Schneider, Marie-France Pisier, Claude Brasseur, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean Carmet, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jacques Fabbri, Daniel Auteuil (more)Plots(1)
Towards the end of the 1920s, Emma Eckhert has become one of the most talked about women in France. Not only is she stunningly beautiful and a staunch supporter of moral campaigns, she is also a hugely successful banker. Having made a fortune speculating on the stock exchange, she intends to share her wealth with her investors, offering them a far higher rate of interest than her competitors. Needless to say, the traditional bankers regard her as a dangerous threat and conspire to bring about her downfall. Principled positives of acclaimed French director Francis Girod´s film, who elaborated an interesting story, is brilliant performance of Romy Schneider, impressive music of Ennio Morricone and authentic portrayal of reality of 1920s. The film was nominated for a national French film prize Cesar in four categories, including Best Cinematography, Best Sound and Best Editing. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
Romy Schneider and Jean-Louis Trintignant already met in a number of films in the past, and most recently in The Lady Banker. This enjoyable story of one woman who made a business out of the basic need for luxury takes place between 1908 and 1931 (some sources go as far back as 1886-1935), giving Romy a great opportunity to interpret Emma Eckhert during a significant period of her life. In terms of the formal aspects, the film is very effortless, the art nouveau opening is in black-and-white, the individual plot chapters are bridged by would-be retro montages, there is no shortage of fabricated Pathé Journal pieces, and of course there are the ever-present front-page headlines. In terms of believability, The Lady Banker goes much further than previous films with Romy that took place during or before World War II, but there is much more needed in order to portray the reality. However, Romy did not live to see the modern era, which is often characterized by precise settings, and this was as good as it could be in her time. Today, The Lady Banker ranks among the top historical films Romy made during her second career in France. Those of you who prefer films based on the face of a single woman will be fully satisfied because all the other characters are nowhere near as good as Romy.
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