Smoking / No Smoking

  • Sabine Azéma: Celia Teasdale / Sylvie Bell / siren Pridworthy / Rowena Coombes / Josephine Hamilton
  • Pierre Arditi: Toby Teasdale / Miles Coombes / Lionel Hepplewick / Joe Hepplewick
  • Peter Hudson: narrator

Smoking / No Smoking is a two-part French film drama directed by Alain Resnais from the year 1993. Literary model served as the stage play Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn. Sabine Azéma and Pierre Arditi, with whom Resnais had previously worked together on several occasions, playing all the roles.

  • 4.1 César
  • 4.2 Other

Action

Be told in two parts each with six possible stories of nine people living in Hutton Buscel in the English county of Yorkshire, and are presented in comic sketches. In the center of interest are the pursuit of happiness, dealing with conventions as well as random and spontaneous decisions made, which greatly change people's lives. Starting point in both parts is always the question that Celia Teasdale arises: Should she while gardening take a cigarette break or not?

Tuxedo

1 Version: Celia is with Toby Teasdale, director of the local school, married. When spring cleaning she reaches for a cigarette and lights it. The janitor of the school, Lionel Hepplewick comes by to check on her garden. Besides, he flirts with the young Sylvie Bell, who works for the Teasdales as a housemaid. A few days later, the Teasdales see one, that their marriage is at the end. Toby, who has a drinking problem and in danger of losing his job as a director, decides to leave town for a while. Five weeks later, Celia tries together with Lionel to provide a catering service to his feet. But Lionel is emphasized here as unusable. Toby finally returns to Celia. Five years later, the funeral of Lionel's father Joe is taking place, who had spent the last years in a wheelchair and has tried as a poet. Toby has now sworn off alcohol, Celia in turn is depressed that her catering service proved unsuccessful. Lionel, meanwhile, has married a businesswoman and successfully operates a cafeteria.

2nd version: In Joe Hepplewicks funeral Celia and Toby hardly recognizable. Toby has become a hopeless alcoholic. Celia continues to operate the catering service with Lionel.

Version 3: In the garden Toby Celia proposes to spring clean, to take a vacation together. Lionel is disappointed when it adopted Celia from him and tells him that the thing with the catering service was a crazy idea. Lionel follows Toby and Celia in a beach hotel, and there takes a job as a waiter. He tries to talk to Celia alone. However, Toby comes to him on the ropes and ensures that Lionel is released. Five years later, Toby is buried. Celia is accompanied by Toby's friend Miles Coombes. Lionel is now working as a gravedigger.

4 Version: Toby retains control, as it turns out that Lionel is Celia and followed him into the beach hotel. Celia admits to have Lionel instigated. This in turn will let Celia now in peace. Five years later, is a celebration held on the occasion of the school 's anniversary. Celia and Tobys marriage is still running bad. Lionel is now married and runs a taxi company.

5 Version: In the Garden of Teasdales Lionel does not want to go out with Celia, but with the housemaid Sylvie. After her rendezvous wants Lionel that Sylvie makes more of itself. Toby helps Sylvie there and gives her appropriate literature to read. Lionel is pleased that Sylvie is determined to develop itself. Celia, meanwhile, hopes that Toby finally stop drinking. Five weeks later, Lionel's father Joe Hepplewick entertains at the town fair with Celia and Sylvie. The latter reacts now tempted to Lionel, who has lost his job. Toby is, however, as Sylvie's mentor blossomed. However, Sylvie not want any more lessons. Lionel and Sylvie have after five years, two sons and a daughter. Toby has now given up his position as director.

6 release: For the City Festival says Sylvie Lionel that she would not marry him. Five years later, Lionel has married another. Toby is clear to see the alcohol addiction at the school anniversary. Sylvie, who has become a reporter in the meantime would like to interview Toby. She thanks him for the lesson that she once received from him what Toby very pleased.

No Smoking

1 Version: Celia ignites on its terrace no cigarette and then missed Lionel. Instead, she meets Toby's friend Miles, who tells her that Toby should be dismissed due to his alcohol addiction. However, Miles would try to prevent Tobys notice. Celia is indifferent, but she wants to leave Toby anyway. But not only them, even Miles performs a bad marriage. His lust for life wife Rowena is cheating on him. However, he is hoping for a dinner for four. However, only he and Celia appear on this meal with the Teasdales. Miles, who was able to prevent that Toby is released, is to speak with Celia alone and encourage them to stay with Toby. But Miles is also in love with Celia. Later, Celia's mother Josephine appears and provides Miles Celia's absence in many private questions. Miles is hiding in the shed then the Teasdales. Five weeks later, go Miles and his wife Rowena for golfing. Rowena taunts while against Miles, but can move him to, and then read her a poem. Five years later, Miles, who has moved with Rowena, and Celia see again. Toby died in the meantime.

2nd version: When playing golf, Rowena says against Miles, that their relationship was not working. When school anniversary turns out that both couples have finally separated. Miles and Toby live together now, Celia works at the school.

3rd version: Miles agrees to defend Toby before the school board and the deputy head teacher Irene Pridworthy, but proposes no common dinner with the Teasdales. When he gets with Rowena in the garden of Teasdales in dispute, locks him Rowena one in the shed. Sylvie exempt Miles, who then invites you for a walk on the beach, he always wanted to do with Rowena. Celia directed Miles from later that Sylvie no long walks and let Rowena to meet with another man. Miles runs then back to the shed. Five weeks later, Miles is still holding on in the shed. Rowena, meanwhile flirts with Lionel, the pretentious off his pants and then demonstrates his fitness. Then it creates Rowena to lure Miles from the shed. This, meanwhile, has decided to leave. Five years later, Sylvie is married to Lionel and Miles back together with Rowena.

4 Version: Rowena shows empathetic and returns with Miles after it has left the shed, back home.

5 Version: Celia tells Miles that Sylvie long walks love to do. But Sylvie had lied in her posthumous message to Celia. During their walk with Miles Sylvie complained that her press her shoes and she had cramps in the legs. Although they go on each other's nerves, Sylvie and Miles feel strongly attracted to each other. After Sylvie has gone home, Rowena finds her husband again. Five years later, Sylvie Miles is led to the altar, where she gives Lionel the knot.

6 Version: When Rowena Miles met with in his wanderings, refuses this, to go home with her. In the mist he falls unhappy and is killed. Five years later, a memorial service will be held for Miles. A shed in the cemetery was dedicated in his name.

Background

Already with Mélo (1986 ) Director Alain Resnais had adapted a boulevard piece for the screen. For Smoking / No Smoking, he took his own stage play Intimate Exchanges of Alan Ayckbourn British as a template that shortened Resnais for his film from eight to six stories. Resnais directed the two -part film about the question " What would have happened if?" Aware before artificial settings and artificial light. The comedy that arises through the adaptation of an English stage play in French, had been intended by Resnais.

Smoking / No Smoking was premiered on 27 October 1993 in France and subsequently received five César Awards, including Best Picture. In Germany the tragicomedy was first shown on 27 October 1994 in cinemas and broadcast by West 3 on television on 26 and 27 May 1996.

Reviews

According to the mirror let themselves " to watch in amazement as the grand old inventor of French cinema has been found in later years to a playful lightness, instead of falling into arthritic importance Rigid " in both parts of the film. It would involve " a late work without schmuck, wise, bright and as easy as only a master of Difficult to stage a film." For the lexicon of international film Smoking / No Smoking by Arditi and Azéma in nine roles was " [h ] played arting ". Cinema described the film as " [k ] omisches, refined game of chance ."

Awards

César

Won:

  • Best Picture
  • Best Director (Alain Resnais )
  • Best actor (Pierre Arditi )
  • Best Writing (Jean -Pierre Bacri, Agnès Jaoui )
  • Best Art Direction (Jacques Saulnier )

Nominated:

  • Best Actress (Sabine Azéma )
  • Best Cinematography ( Renato Berta )
  • Best Editing ( Albert Jurgenson )
  • Best Sound ( Bernard Bats, Gérard Lamps )

More

  • Nominated for the Golden Bear and Silver Bear for an outstanding single achievement (Alain Resnais ) at the International Film Festival of Berlin
  • Louis- Delluc Prize for Best Film
  • Price of the Syndicat Français de la Critique de Cinéma for Best French film
  • Nastro d' argento europeo of Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani for Alain Resnais
  • Golden Pegasus at the Premi Internazionali Flaiano for Pierre Arditi and Sabine Azéma
  • Nomination for the Golden Frog for Cameraman Renato Berta at CamerImage Festival
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