Period films and series became a hit after the premiere of the first season of The Bridgertons on Netflix. We have been waiting for the fourth opus in this series for a few months now and fans of this genre are always on the lookout for new fiction of this genre. One of the period films that can be a good option is Curious which is available on Prime Video. A French film released in 2019, based on true events, tells the life of the famous author Marie de Régnier. A story of love and passion on both sides since if Marie marries the poet Henri de Regnier, she also falls in love with Pierre Louÿs, also a recognized poet. This film is the first feature film of French director Lou Jeunet and stars actors Noémie Merlant and Niels Schneider.
Although in the series The Bridgertons We have already seen naughty scenes like that of Penelope and Collin’s carriage, in Curious We show that in period fiction, this can have a great weight of passion, the sensual and the suggestive. The film is surprising because it takes place in the 19th century in France at a time when this type of three-way relationship was very complicated by the social conventions of the time. The band Curious can be seen on Prime Video, this can be another good option for lovers of period series like The Golden Age, Belgravia, Outlander, Downton Abbey either The crownamong many others.
What happens in the movie Curious?
This period film is set in beautiful 1895 Paris and features Pierre Louÿs, Parisian poet who struggles to become famous. It must be taken into account that Pierre and his friend Henri De Régnier are madly in love with Marie de Heredia, the cheeky and friendly daughter of their mentor. Despite her feelings for Pierre, Marie is ultimately forced to marry Henri in order to pay her father’s debts.
Everything is complicated because, even if Marie married Herri de Regnier, she will become his friend’s lover. With Pierre Louÿs, Marie will experience a moment of initiation to love and eroticism through photography and literature. Both will experience an unforgettable adventure in Belle Époque Paris. Furthermore, Henri and Pierre would become two of the best-known writers in France at the end of the 19th century. Pierre Louÿs was a renowned French writer and poet and Henri de Régnier was a novelist and poet part of the Symbolist movement.
Marie de Heredia was also a French novelist, poet and playwright linked to artistic circles in early 20th century Paris. This courageous woman wrote with the pseudonym of Gérard d’Houville or that of Gérardine because at that time it was very complicated to be a woman writer. Under the pseudonym Gérard d’Houville, Marie de Heredia received the first prize for literature from the Académie française in 1918 for her entire body of work, making her the first woman to obtain this prize.
A careful period production
the movie Curious It was directed by Frenchman Lou Jeunet that we know from other fictions such as Cow kick, Little hands with Mireille Perrier and Philippe Duclos and Women’s fights. Lou Jeunet began his career by writing and directing his first short film in 1995. The Handsome Pavel with Jeanne Balibar. His first film All that glitters It starred Isabelle Carré and Annie Girardot and was selected in 1998 at the Cognac Police Film Festival. Furthermore, the French director released in 1999 Favorite girl which won two awards at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival and a nomination for the International Emmy Award.
The protagonist of this film is actress Noémie Merlant who plays the role of Marie de Heredia. We saw this actress in the movie One year, one night about the attack on the Bataclan hall. The actor Niels Schneider plays the poet Pierre Louÿs and we saw this actor play imaginary loves with Dolan and Monia Chokri. Thanks to his brilliant performance, he was awarded the Chopard Trophy at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.
Also in the cast are the actors Benjamin Lavernhe (That’s life), Camélia Jordana (A brilliant reason), Amira Casar (Call me by your name) and Scali Delpeyrat (Traitor), among many others. Curious It is a very original film that could be a good choice for those who like this type of historical series and want to know the past of these three well-known French writers.
