A LADY IN PARIS

Anne is lonely. The divorcee’s children moved out long ago, and there’s nobody but herself to think about after the mother she lovingly cared for dies. Then a phone call comes from Paris: Frida, an elderly Estonian, needs somebody to look after her. Although Anne studied French she’s never been to Paris. Nothing is keeping her in Estonia – she accepts the job and starts packing. In the French capital a frosty reception awaits the new arrival. Frida refuses to converse with Anne in their native Estonian, being more interested in reviving the attentions of an old flame called Stephane. Anne, for her own part, endures Frida’s malicious ways with a fortitude by which her boss can’t help being impressed. Slowly, something like a special bond develops between the two Estonians in Paris. The director Ilmar Raag brings lightness of touch to this moving tale of two lonely women who tentatively reach out to each other. Jeanne Moreau, the grande dame of French cinema, plays the ageing diva Frida with effortless grace, proving her undiminished ability to enchant the big screen.