Same Old Song

Same Old Song is a 1997 French comedy-drama film. It was directed by Alain Resnais, and written by Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri. Jaoui and Bacri also starred in the film with Sabine Azéma, Lambert Wilson, André Dussollier and Pierre Arditi.
Plot
Odile (Azéma), a business executive, is married to weak, furtive Claude (Arditi). In the past Odile was close to successful businessman Nicolas (Bacri), now married with kids and returning to Paris after an eight-year absence. She is looking for a new, bigger apartment from estate agent Marc (Wilson). Her younger sister Camille (Jaoui), has just completed her doctoral thesis in history and is a Paris tour guide. Simon (Dussollier) is a regular on Camille's tours because he's attracted to her, although he claims to be researching his historical radio dramas. Camille has fallen for Marc, and they begin an affair. Nicolas is also looking for an apartment, since he hopes to eventually have his family join him in Paris.
The most original feature of this "musical" is that characters break into songs as sung by the original artists, i.e. depending on the circumstances, a female character may all of a sudden start singing in a male voice and vice versa. The judicious choice of songs and variety of styles make for some very funny surprises, considering the complete and voluntary absence of transitions between the talking and singing. The film's debt to Dennis Potter is acknowledged with a dedication in the opening credits.
Cast
Pierre Arditi as Claude Lalande
Sabine Azéma as Odile Lalande, Claude's wife
Jean-Pierre Bacri as Nicolas
André Dussollier as Simon
Agnès Jaoui as Camille, Odile's younger sister
Lambert Wilson as Marc Duveyrier, Simon's boss
Jane Birkin as Jane, the wife of Nicolas
Françoise Bertin as Little Lady on Tour
Jean-Paul Roussillon as the father of Odile and Camille
Jean-Pierre Darroussin as the man with the cheque
Claire Nadeau and Frédérique Cantrel as Female Guest
Songs
Josephine Baker : J'ai deux amours
Dalida and Alain Delon : Paroles, paroles
Charles Aznavour : Et moi dans mon coin
René Koval : C'est dégoutant mais nécessaire
Simone Simon : Afin de plaire à son papa
Gaston Ouvrard : Je n'suis pas bien portant
Albert Préjean : Je m'donne
Jacques Dutronc : J'aime les filles
Michel Sardou : Déjà vu
Gilbert Bécaud : Nathalie
Maurice Chevalier : Dans la vie faut pas s'en faire
Arletty and Aquistapace : Et le reste
Édith Piaf: J'm'en fous pas mal
Alain Bashung : Vertige de l'amour
Sheila : L'école est finie
Serge Lama : Je suis malade
Léo Ferré : Avec le temps
Henri Garat : Avoir un bon copain
Jane Birkin : Quoi
France Gall : Résiste
Albert Préjean : Amusez-vous
Henri Garat : La tête qu'il faut faire
Alain Souchon : Sous les jupes des filles
Eddy Mitchell : La dernière séance
Sylvie Vartan : La plus belle pour aller danser
Serge Gainsbourg : Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais
Eddy Mitchell : Je vous dérange
Téléphone : Ça c'est vraiment toi
Dranem : Quand on perd la tête
Johnny Hallyday : Ma gueule
Pierre Perret : Mon p'tit loup
Claude François : Le mal-aimé
Michel Jonasz : J'veux pas qu'tu t'en ailles
Julien Clerc : Ce n'est rien
Claude François : Chanson populaire
Eddy Mitchell : Blues du blanc
Reception
Accolades
The film won the César Award for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing, Best Editing and Best Sound in 1998. It won the Louis Delluc Prize in 1997. At the 48th Berlin International Film Festival in 1998, Resnais won the Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution.
Box office
The film opened in France the same week as Alien Resurrection, opening on 158 screens and grossing 30.3 million French Francs ($5.3 million) for the week, compared to 38.9 million French Francs for Alien Resurrection from 507 screens, and finishing in second place at the French box office. It went on to gross $39 million.
References
External links
1997 romantic comedy-drama films
1997 films
Best Film César Award winners
Films directed by Alain Resnais
Films featuring a Best Actor César Award-winning performance
Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor César Award-winning performance
Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress César Award-winning performance
Films set in Paris
Films shot in Paris
1990s French-language films
French musical comedy-drama films
1990s musical comedy-drama films
Louis Delluc Prize winners
Jukebox musical films
Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution
1997 comedy films
1997 drama films
1990s French films