I recently saw Les Bien-Amies and I’m trying to put my finger on it — what is so magical about the films of Christophe Honoré? His films are melancholy but not depressing and despite the darkness there is plenty of charm and compassion. Infidelity, premature death, incest, bisexuality, love, sex, unhappiness, obsession are among the topics and emotions explored in his films. The characters frequently behave in baffling ways, however there’s never a whiff of moral judgement in an Honoré film. I think it has something to do with the characters he creates. However flawed or unable to fully understand their actions, the characters are operating from a place of authenticity. And for that we can feel compassion.
Jaques Demy is obviously a big influence. With the recent musicals Love Songs and now Les Bien Amies Honoré is working within Demy’s unique territory. And like Demy, Honoré is tackling thorny subjects and setting them stylized, musical environments. Serious subjects like premaritial sex, single motherhood, and war, in the case of Demy, and death, grief and sexuality in Honoré’s films, are presented via the musical — a film genre known more for its upbeat histrionics rather than realism. The films of Demy and Honoré aren’t upbeat, nor are they melodramatic or sentimental. I think this tension between the content and the form is what gives them their emotional power and poignancy. The actors are singing it straight. Within the deceptive lightness of the musical lies a frank realism of the heart.