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Nelly and Mr. Arnaud

Nelly and Mr. Arnaud (Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud)

Movie · 1995 · 4 people

Claude Sautet ended his career with Nelly and Mr. Arnaud (in French, Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud), a 1995 drama made by France, Italy and Germany together. It took Best Director and Best Actor at the 1996 César ceremony. It collected 11 César nominations in all, won the Louis Delluc Prize and a Lumière Award for Best Actor, and was nominated for the BAFTA for best film not in the English language.

At its centre is the relationship between Nelly, a young woman going through a life crisis, and Pierre Arnaud, a wealthy older man who hires her as an assistant while he writes his memoirs. Emmanuelle Béart plays Nelly and Michel Serrault plays Pierre Arnaud; Jean-Hugues Anglade is Vincent Granec and Michael Lonsdale is Dolabella. The cast also includes Françoise Brion, Jean-Pierre Lorit, Charles Berling and Claire Nadeau.

Sautet wrote the script with Jacques Fieschi and Yves Ulmann. The French-language film runs 103 minutes. Its producers include Alain Sarde, Italy's Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica, Germany's Prokino Filmproduktion and the French broadcaster TF1. The budget is reported at about 8.98 million euros.

DirectorClaude Sautet
Production companyCecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica, Prokino Filmproduktion, TF1
Nelly and Mr. Arnaud (Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud) Nelly and Mr. Arnaud (Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud)

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Françoise Brion Françoise Brion Actor · died at 92 Jean-Pierre Lorit Actor · 65 years old Michael Lonsdale Michael Lonsdale Actor · died at 89 Michel Serrault Michel Serrault Actor · died at 79

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Through different eyes

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Claude Sautet's last film can be read as a master's parting sentence. The relationship between young Nelly, going through a troubled period, and the wealthy, elderly Pierre Arnaud, who hires her to help write his memoirs, sets up a structure that will lean on conversations and glances rather than big events. The script Sautet wrote with Jacques Fieschi and Yves Ulmann turns the distance between these two people into the film's real tension. The performance that won Michel Serrault a César, and Emmanuelle Béart's presence opposite him, are essential to holding such a structure up. Eleven César nominations and the Louis Delluc Prize tell you how it was received. Still, feelings that stay beneath the surface for 103 minutes may seem static to viewers who want movement; restraint can sometimes turn into distance.

Yeşilçam Nostalgic A viewer raised on the classics, looking for warm storytelling and strong acting.

For anyone who loves literature, a story built around writing a memoir is appealing in itself. An old, wealthy man asking a young woman to help him put his life on paper opens the door to a delicate bond between two generations. Michel Serrault has the gravity of the old masters; that César was no accident. Viewers used to Yeşilçam's loud emotion may find it distant, but it is clearly a quiet, sincere film. Made for a calm evening.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

This film speaks mainly to adults. It is about the relationship between a young woman and an old man; the tone is calm, but at its centre is a woman going through a hard time. Children will find it dull, so do not expect action. It is in French, so you may need subtitles. Better suited to a quiet evening with the grown-ups.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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