Driving Madeleine – REVIEW

By Martin Fabinyi

Driving Madeleine is a French movie which in less delicate hands could be viewed as a love letter to the all-enchanting Paris. While on the surface it is certainly that, its story is a far greater and much more exquisite experience.

Taxi driver Charles (Dany Boon) accepts a fare that will take him from one side of the city to the other. His 92-year-old fare Madeleine, (nonagenarian Line Renaud) who seems immediately cantankerous, asks Charles to stop on the way to her destination to remember the Paris she grew up with during and after the war. As the ride progresses, her story is slowly revealed. While Charles is beset with money troubles, he has no idea how Madeleine’s past will unfold during the long ride – a life of romance, tragedy and, eventually, eternal kindness.

Writer/director Christian Carion is a true auteur: he has written every film he’s directed, which includes the successful Joyeux Noël based on the historic truce between the British, French and German soldiers on Christmas Eve in 1914. The film was nominated for multiple César Awards, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. His subsequent films include My Son, a 2021 English-language remake of Carion’s 2017 film, Mon Garçon, which starred James McAvoy and Clare Foy. The film had mixed reviews, possibly due to the improvised nature of the dialogue (James McAvoy has said that he was not even given a script).

Driving Madeliene is a time-shifting kaleidoscope anchored by two of France’s living legends (which is saying a lot). Line Renaud began her career as a singer with the famed composer Louis Gasté (who she met at 16 and married at 22, remaining with him until his death in 1995. In 1954, while performing at Moulin Rouge, she met Bob Hope and subsequently appeared in five episodes of The Bob Hope Show in the US. During this trip, she also sang in the Waldorf Astoria (New York) and the Coconut Grove (Los Angeles), appeared on Johnny Carson, Dinah Shore and Ed Sullivan shows and recorded with Dean Martin the songs “Relax-Ay-Voo” and “Two Sleepy People“.

Her filmography spans over 70 years, with awards culminating in the Legion of Honour in 2022. Best known in Australia as a leading cast member of the Netflix show Call My Agent, her Madeleine is a luminous presence telling her story with emotion not sentiment, and her vivid past with all the nuances of her 95-year-old life. America is so enamoured of her that she has a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame, and a street named after her at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas.

Dany Boon is the taxi driver who brings a subtle set of emotions, from grumpy despair to outright astonishment to the story he is hearing. His ability to sway from one to another has earned him a stellar career in film and television.

He made his television debut on the French comedy show La Classe. His breakthrough came with the release of his film Welcome To The Sticks. The film, which Boon wrote, directed and starred in, is the story of a postal worker from the south of France who is transferred to a small town (“the Sticks”). The film was a huge success in France, breaking box office records and becoming the highest-grossing French film of all time.

His film Raid Dingue was a 2016 comedy that was another major success. Boon was both screenwriter and director on this movie, and also starred in it. For this film Boon received the first César du public in the history of French cinema: this new award is given to the French film with the biggest box office of the year. A favourite of Hollywood directors, Boon has worked as the French voice for directors including Steven Spielberg, and played the role of Inspector Delacroix in Murder Mystery and Murder Mystery 2, both starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler.

Driving Madeleine is a must-see experience from a true French auteur, starring two of its brightest stars. Its strength comes from a combined well of strong, evocative writing and extraordinary performances.

Not to be missed.

★★★★★

In Cinemas June 22