Charm of France's sweetheart fades...

[GardenStateGirlie]

So i'm on my favorite Catherine Deneuve website and notice on the front page, an open letter to Catherine Deneuve by the webmistress (whom Catherine evidently knows) in which this woman pretty much does everything but serve Catherine her ass on a silver platter (she nearly does that).

Feb. 2005: Lost Illusions

But it gets better...that's not the only way in which she's fallen from grace...

Charm of France's sweetheart fades...

22.01.05
by Catherine Field

The bills are eye-popping: €606 ($1109) for hyacinths and lilies from a Paris florist; quick trips to New York on Concorde for €6153 ($11,260); a Christmas present of bed linen, just €1912 ($3499) from a Paris store; tens of thousands of euros for Tiffany lamps, art deco lacquer panels and matching furniture for her Latin Quarter flat; an exotic tree flown in from Lebanon to adorn the garden of her country house in Normandy.

Eyebrows are being raised across France as salacious details about the icon of French cinema, Catherine Deneuve, are dragged into the open as investigators probe a disgraced Algerian tycoon.

But for many people, the press revelations are more painful than shocking. The disclosures have ravaged the image of an actress revered as much for her classic elegance, sophistication and intelligence as for her blonde beauty.

In a career spanning four decades and hundreds of films, Deneuve, 61, is feted for the bittersweet romance The Umbrellas of Cherbourg; for Belle de Jour the sado-masochistic tale of a callgirl; for The Last Metro, which depicted of relationships in occupied Paris in World War II; and for the Oscar-nominated Indochine. Her roles were acclaimed for depth, daring and sensitivity.

Her cool beauty not only enslaved innumerable men, it also became a symbol of French womanhood. In the 1980s, her face was modelled for a bust of Marianne, the national emblem, which can be seen in town halls up and down the country.

The past week, though, has seen the Deneuve touchstone tragically lose its power.

The great lady of French cinema, so stylish, understated and otherworldly, is suddenly viewed as shallow and grasping.

The cause of the distress is Deneuve's spendthrift lifestyle - something that she has always admitted.

"I don't give a darn about money," she told the magazine Egoiste. "It comes in through one door, goes out through another. Who cares?

"If I see a very beautiful object, even it is ruinously expensive and I really can't afford it, well, I completely set aside the notion of value of money, I go in and buy it.

"My apartment is filled with objects which I've bought like that but which I shouldn't have."

Gerard Depardieu, France's most popular actor, has said: "Her image is of being serene, organised. But I've never seen anyone so untidy, so fickle when it comes to money, business."

In one case, Deneuve was on an Air France flight from Bangkok to Paris which stopped for refuelling in Copenhagen. Deneuve, driven by an urge for salmon, insisted on buying fresh fish in town, even though she had to miss the flight and take the next plane.

Such whims are, of course, all part-and-parcel of movie-star lifestyles. In Deneuve's case, though, the cost became crippling after her career went into decline. Her last big hit was three years ago, in the campy musical 8 Women, for which she received €457,000 ($836,383), plus 9 per cent of the box-office take.

Since then, Deneuve has fallen on the hard ground of TV movies, for which she has been lavishly rewarded - she was paid €610,000 ($1.123 million) for Les Liaisons Dangereuses, a costume drama about seduction and infidelity - but which have flopped.

Her other big income source has been advertising. In the 1980s, Deneuve pitched for Chanel perfume on American television.

The following decade, Deneuve signed deals worth a US$1 million a year as the face of Chanel's rival, Saint Laurent.

In this halcyon time, the couturier was contract-bound to pay "all expenses including, but not limited to, the costs of travel, accommodation, meals" as well as the costs of a friend or escort accompanied by the actress and a chauffeured limousine.

Saint-Laurent also had to pay around 20,000 French francs ($4950 in today's money) a day to meet the star's "personal requirements".

That was followed, from 2001-2003, as the "ambassador of charm" for the French cosmetics firm L'Oreal, at some €1.2 million a year. Since then, though, Deneuve's value in the ad market has plummeted along with her box-office rating. According to the daily Le Parisien, Deneuve's only ad contract now is with American sunglass maker Viva, worth €200,000 ($366,032) a year.

Deneuve found herself caught between massive bills and a sharply falling income. She became tempted into making paid appearances at parties, in which stars are hired to add a touch of glamour. This demeaning path has led to her undoing.

It began, the press says, in June 1997, with an appearance with Gina Lollobrigida at a gala for Gilberto Scarpa, a Brazilian Coca-Cola bottler.

In 2000, Deneuve attended the opening of a Las Vegas casino, hardly a location in line with her suave image. The following year, things were even worse: a horsejumping competition in Lisbon, sponsored by Samsung, and the opening of a cinema complex in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, for €60,000 ($109809) a pop.

In 2002, she scraped the bottom of the barrel, making appearances for a glamour-crazed Algerian millionaire, Rafik Khalifa.

In March that year, she received €45,700 ($83,638) for being flown to Algiers in a private jet to attend a match between Khalifa's football team, Olympic Marseille, and the Algerian national team. The pictures show the pair with gritted smiles, with Deneuve plainly hating the moment.

Even so, six months later, Deneuve attended the launch of Khalifa's TV channel in Cannes, alongside her friend Depardieu, as well as Sting and Naomi Campbell.

Depardieu received a €30,000 ($54,904) payoff from the Khalifa for attending the bash, according to the daily Le Monde, while Deneuve picked up €40,000 ($73206), which was reportedly handed over in cash in a toilet.

These figures come from testimony that Deneuve has been forced to give to a Paris examining magistrate, probing the collapse of Khalifa's nebulous business empire in France.

Khalifa, 38, is the son of an Algerian minister and is reputedly closely connected with the ruling military, who control the country's oil and gas wealth.

According to legal sources, Deneuve will be forced to pay what she owes to the tax authorities, but will not be prosecuted for tax avoidance.

But, for her public - for whom fiscal evasion is in many cases a favoured pastime - this is negligible. What is far more damaging, in their view, is the way Deneuve surrendered her integrity. She traded her regal status for a brown envelope from a businessman desperate to get his picture in the celebrity press.

"The perfume of mystery turned stale, the image cracked before our eyes," Le Monde said. "Before, she was distant and adorable. We suddenly discovered someone who is self-seeking, grasping."
________________

Yikes, Catherine. What gives??

[amber]

awww.
Hope she gets help.

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by amber

awww.
Hope she gets help.

The last thing she needs to be doing is attending a film screening with fans and flipping out on one (that should have been done in private, IMO). She can easily be written off as a has-been in recent years and should be grateful people still give a damn about her. Catherine gets -10 for that.

[dissention]

How sad. I'd give up my spending and my career before I ever scrape the bottom of the barrel like that. It's rather demeaning.

On a lighter note, though, I love this paragraph from that open letter.

The numerous messages I receive say that this site does you credit and my visitors imagine that you can only be flattered and very touched by its existence. How badly they know you...

[dissention]

Originally Posted by GardenStateGirlie

The last thing she needs to be doing is attending a film screening with fans and flipping out on one (that should have been done in private, IMO). She can easily be written off as a has-been in recent years and should be grateful people still give a damn about her. Catherine gets -10 for that.

Has been or not, she's still turned in some fabulous performances, especially in Dancer In the Dark.

But what a bitch.

[Serrart]

Originally Posted by amber

awww.
Hope she gets help.

I doubt it. She's always been that way. Distant, moody, vengeful, reserved, spoiled, with a total diva attitude, but capable of great love, passion, generosity, very protective of her family. I'm really sorry for the webmistress of that site, she did a great work, but Mme Deneuve's reaction isn't really surprising. She couldn't expect from her the same reaction of Cedric Klapisch, who's a brilliant, very easy going director. Anyway, Techine's movie with Deneuve and Depardieu is in Berlin Film Festival program, hope it would win something so maybe she would stop to behave like Norma Desmond.

Romy

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by dissention

How sad. I'd give up my spending and my career before I ever scrape the bottom of the barrel like that. It's rather demeaning.

On a lighter note, though, I love this paragraph from that open letter.

The numerous messages I receive say that this site does you credit and my visitors imagine that you can only be flattered and very touched by its existence. How badly they know you...

Incredibly demeaning. I'm not shocked. I'd figured as much...it was inevitable. The past few years she's put out less than stellar films (most of which I own and love because I do adore the quicksand she evidently walks on). I own Dangerous Liaisons (which was produced for TV) and it's lackluster to say the very least. I figured she must have gotten quite a large sum of money to appear in a movie of the week with Leelee Sobieski and Nastassja Kinski.

Oh, not only did that line deserve three snaps in a Z formation, I also found the following to be hysterical...

If I told you, afterwards, that there were not millions of people interested in you on Internet, it is not because I'm meanspirited, as you accused me of being, but because I know how many people visit this site : around 18 000 monthly.

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by Serrart

Anyway, Techine's movie with Deneuve and Depardieu is in Berlin Film Festival program, hope it would win something so maybe she would stop to behave like Norma Desmond.

Romy

She certainly has the Norma Desmond down pat. I hope she quits behaving like this, owns up to the fact that she's been using her status as a French superstar to make a quick buck, and just moves on with her life instead of wallowing in the fact that she's gotten some negative press recently.

HEY CATHERINE! IT COULD BE WORSE! YOU COULD BE ASSLEE SIMPSON!

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by dissention

Has been or not, she's still turned in some fabulous performances, especially in Dancer In the Dark.

But what a bitch.

East/West, My Favorite Season, Indochine, Time Regained, The Last Metro...I could name a TON. She's a phenomenal actress but seriously...the cutty hor act isn't becoming...especially for her.

[Serrart]

Originally Posted by GardenStateGirlie

Incredibly demeaning. I'm not shocked. I'd figured as much...it was inevitable. The past few years she's put out less than stellar films (most of which I own and love because I do adore the quicksand she evidently walks on). I own Dangerous Liaisons (which was produced for TV) and it's lackluster to say the very least. I figured she must have gotten quite a large sum of money to appear in a movie of the week with Leelee Sobieski and Nastassja Kinski.

Oh, not only did that line deserve three snaps in a Z formation, I also found the following to be hysterical...

If I told you, afterwards, that there were not millions of people interested in you on Internet, it is not because I'm meanspirited, as you accused me of being, but because I know how many people visit this site : around 18 000 monthly.

I think she did also some good movies lately, like "8 women" (an International hit), "Um Filme falado" by De Oliveira and in 2004 "Rois et reine" by Arnaud Desplechin, that's nominated for a lot of Cesars. Even if the last that I liked a lot with her, besides Dancer in The Dark was Place Vendome. The plot was dull, but her perfromance was beautiful and she had wonderful partners like Jean- Pierre Bacri and the always amazing Jacques Dutronc.

Romy

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by Serrart

I think she did also some good movies lately, like "8 women" (an International hit), "Um Filme falado" by De Oliveira and in 2004 "Rois et reine" by Arnaud Desplechin, that's nominated for a lot of Cesars. Even if the last that I liked a lot with her, besides Dancer in The Dark was Place Vendome. the plot was dull, but her perfromance was beautiful and she had wonderful partners like Jean- Pierre Bacri and the always amazing Jacques Dutronc.

Romy

I love 8 Women (i'm a big Fanny Ardant fan as well). In fact, the day it came out, I forced friends to go see it with me and we all laughed because it was so outrageous and amusing. But honestly, it was sort of campy even though I enjoy it (I even went out and bought the soundtrack). Place Vendome is a fantastic movie (though I agree with the plot being dull). The character of Marianne is heartbreakingly beautiful and yes, she turns a great performance out. However, I can't forget some of the decisions she's made because these films didn't turn out a great profit to her (anyone remember The Musketeers? ). Like I said, I will continue to adore her but I think she needs to wise up.

[amber]

You know, I was thinking about this -
I will still like Catherine Deneuve - As far as i did. Maybe i feel ok, because MY French Actress I already knew was crazier than a 'coon with Rabies (that is Isabelle Adjani, OC) I read an article for "Queen Margot" and her costars described her, publicly, as - "borderline crazy" "emotionally volatile", etc.
In fact, many of my favorite actresses have been crazier than ****house rats. (Parker? call me! Miss Davis? R.I.P. - Miss Hayward? Happy same birthday! Frances Farmer?- Bummer! And seriously, I could go on and on with that. Clara Bow? you slut!!! Joan C.? barf! )
I hope that soon Ms. Deneuve (how much did I love Indochine and The Hunger?) gets whatever kind of help she needs. In the meantime, I won't hold it tooo much against her.

[amber]

Originally Posted by GardenStateGirlie

I love 8 Women (i'm a big Fanny Ardant fan as well). In fact, the day it came out, I forced friends to go see it with me and we all laughed because it was so outrageous and amusing. But honestly, it was sort of campy even though I enjoy it (I even went out and bought the soundtrack). Place Vendome is a fantastic movie (though I agree with the plot being dull). The character of Marianne is heartbreakingly beautiful and yes, she turns a great performance out. However, I can't forget some of the decisions she's made because these films didn't turn out a great profit to her (anyone remember The Musketeers? ). Like I said, I will continue to adore her but I think she needs to wise up.

Omigosh, A fanny ardant fan! Noice. I loved her in that french aristocracy movie where she played a courtesan, etc. (yes, i forgot the name. no, Miss Deneuve was not in it)
not to threadjack, just saying.
I will check out 8 women!

[GardenStateGirlie]

Originally Posted by amber

Omigosh, A fanny ardant fan! Noice. I loved her in that french aristocracy movie where she played a courtesan, etc. (yes, i forgot the name. no, Miss Deneuve was not in it)
not to threadjack, just saying.
I will check out 8 women!

Ridicule is one of my favorite Fanny Ardant movies. She plays such an incredible bitch (was nominated for a Cesar for her performance--French equivelent of the Oscars). I really love period pieces and she makes a lot of them (i've yet to see one I don't absolutely adore). I'm itchin' to see her in Callas Forever. It wasn't out for very long so I'll have to wait until it's released on video. Also, even though she's only in a few scenes of the film, she was awesome in Elizabeth as Mary of Guise. I was incredibly stoked to see my two favorite actresses in a film together when 8 Women was released. However, I can't help but to think that in their fight scene (and that's all I'll say since you haven't seen it yet), more than just acting was coming out (the two women were both Truffaut's muses at one time or another. Ardant had a child with him). And you can certainly hijack the thread with Fanny Ardant because I adore her and collect her films as well

[Serrart]

Originally Posted by GardenStateGirlie

Ridicule is one of my favorite Fanny Ardant movies. She plays such an incredible bitch (was nominated for a Cesar for her performance--French equivelent of the Oscars). I really love period pieces and she makes a lot of them (i've yet to see one I don't absolutely adore). I'm itchin' to see her in Callas Forever. It wasn't out for very long so I'll have to wait until it's released on video. Also, even though she's only in a few scenes of the film, she was awesome in Elizabeth as Mary of Guise. I was incredibly stoked to see my two favorite actresses in a film together when 8 Women was released. However, I can't help but to think that in their fight scene (and that's all I'll say since you haven't seen it yet), more than just acting was coming out (the two women were both Truffaut's muses at one time or another. Ardant had a child with him). And you can certainly hijack the thread with Fanny Ardant because I adore her and collect her films as well

Fanny Ardant last year made in Italy a movie called L'odore del sangue (the literal translation would be 'Blood's smell'). A lot of sex and psycologic violence in it, but she played the role with the usual class. She's great, I especially love her movies with Truffaut, and some others like The Colonel Chabert, Ridicule and her works with Scola.
I also have to thank her because she had to renounce to shoot my all time favourite film, La vie et rien d'autre by Tavernier with Noiret, and the part went to Sabine Azema, my no.1 French actress, who just nailed the part .

Romy