Nelly and Mr Arnaud = Nelly & Monsieur Arnaud [Widescreen]

Nelly (Emmanuel Beart) is a woman unhappily married to Jerome (Charles Berling), an unemployed and unmotivated man whose attitude towards her borders on contempt. Nelly is struggling with their financial situation, juggling several odd jobs to make ends meet. One day she meets by chance at a restaurant, Mr Arnaud. He is an elderly, retired judge, reasonably well off and estranged from his wife and children. Arnaud, a complete stranger, offers to pay her debts, no strings attached, and Nelly reluctantly agrees. Intrigued by Nelly, Arnaud employs her to help him record his memoirs. Nelly is depicted as a somewhat aloof woman searching for a connection to those around her. Mr Arnaud is a man near the end of his life, financially secure but dwelling on past regrets, both personal and professional. The bond between them intensifies and as Nelly embarks on an affair with a dashing young publisher, Vincent (Jean-Hugues Anglade), Nelly and Arnoud’s relationship is threatened. Created from an original script, “Nelly and Mr Arnaud” is a gently observed tale about friendship and the vagaries of the heart. This was the last film directed by Claude Sautet before his death. In French with English subtitles.