MAGAZINE.
Mistress woman
At 9:05 pm on France 3.
She died at the age of 28 in excruciating pain, as a result of poisoning or a disease of the intestines.
But the end of Agnès Sorel is not the image of her life.
The favorite mistress of King Charles VII shone on the court, and more widely on France, in the middle of the Hundred Years War.
In this number of “Secrets d'histoire”, Stéphane Bern opens the doors to the city of Loches, (Indre-et-Loire), where the king was literally struck by the beauty of Agnès Sorel in 1443. La the first mistress in the history of France to be installed at court is also a formidable woman of power.
It is to her that we owe the return to the saddle of the king to kick the English out of France, after the exploits of Joan of Arc.
She appears in armor during the royal festivals in Nancy and spends her reign advising the king.
Charles VII treats her better than the queen, covers her with jewels, installs her in Loches.
We discover her beauty secrets, her anti-wrinkle cream based on snail slime, poppy red for her lips, while make-up is banned by the Church.
Silk, furs, sleeves to the floor, dress with a 7 m train, necklines, Agnès Sorel launches fashions and takes power through physical beauty and luxury.
As his life was short, “Secrets d'histoire” spills over into Jacques Coeur, a wealthy merchant named Grand Argentier of the kingdom and Louis XI, the son of Charles VII who hated Agnès Sorel.
Thus, Stéphane Bern regales us on the paths of Gothic architecture, unbridled customs and the splendor of royalty.
THE EDITOR'S NOTE 4/5
“Secrets of History: Agnès Sorel, first of the favorites”
, presented by Stéphane Bern.
(2014).
(1h45)
DRAMA.
Tsunami warning
Ewan MCGregor in "The Impossible" ./SND
At 9:05 p.m., on W9.
Almost eight years after the tsunami which killed some 230,000 people in South-East Asia, on December 26, 2004, “The Impossible” looked back on the disaster by telling the true story of a British family in Phuket (Thailand ), for the Christmas holidays.
From flooded fields to devastated hotels, to an overcrowded hospital, everyone struggles for their survival and hopes to find their own.
A reconstruction seen through the prism of the intimate, but which nonetheless remains spectacular.
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EDITOR'S RATING: 4/5
“The impossible”,
American-Spanish film by Juan Antonio Bayona (2012), with Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Geraldine Chaplin… (1h50)
COMEDY.
Love at the beach
At 9:05 pm on France 2.
Marion, stylist, takes her young cousin Pauline on vacation to a Normandy beach.
There, they will meet three men: the kind Pierre, madly in love with Marion and who befriends Pauline, the charmer Henri, who seduces Marion but has views on Pauline, and the young Sylvain, who would like to sleep with Pauline… Amorous crossovers will bind and untie these characters…
A light film only in appearance, integrated into Eric Rohmer's “Comedies and Proverbs” cycle, “Pauline at the beach” tells about love in the 1980s by considering it in all its possibilities, from romance to debauchery.
All the actors are amazing, Arielle Dombasle and the young Amanda Langlet in the lead…
Anecdotally, director Quentin Tarantino recommended the film to his clients when he was employed in a video store in California.
EDITOR'S RATING: 4/5
“Pauline at the beach”
, by Eric Rohmer (1983), with Arielle Dombasle, Amanda Langlet, Pascal Greggory, Feodor Atkine, Simon de La Brosse… (1h35)
WAR.
Stalking under the sea
Robert Mitchum plays Captain Murrell in “Torpedoes Under the Atlantic” ./PROD
At 8:55 p.m., in Arte.
If Hollywood took part in the war effort by producing numerous works to the glory of the United States, a second wave of films began to take a step back, leaving Manichaeism.
This is the case of this "Torpedoes under the Atlantic" which, despite a bellicose title, relates a human adventure, inspired by the experiences of a British naval officer.
The action is moved to the American side, Robert Mitchum playing Captain Murrell who, after the destruction of his freighter by a German submarine, takes command of a destroyer.
He soon finds himself on the trail of a Nazi submersible, led by a talented officer, played by Curd Jürgens.
The cat and mouse game has only just begun ...
The performance of the two great actors constitutes a large part of the charm of the film, which also has effective scenes, awarded the Oscar for best special effects.
EDITOR'S RATING: 3.5 / 5
“Torpedoes under the Atlantic”
, American war film by Dick Powell (1957), with Robert Mitchum, Curd Jürgens, David Hedison… (1h40)
DOCUMENTARY.
The words to say it
At 10:50 pm on France 3.
“When I came here, I couldn't even speak.
Everyone was laughing at me, ”Justine says with difficulty.
The girl will however pass in CM2 with the congratulations of her teachers.
Dyslexics, dysgraphics, dyspraxics… the pupils of the Fourio school, in Launac near Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), suffer from learning disabilities.
It is a specialized school, founded by “dys” adults, which offers adapted pedagogy… Marie Béchaux filmed them for a year and made a touching documentary.
A "very small error" in her addition book, and the little girl bursts into tears.
Beside, a comrade is fighting with the inaudible “o” for “feeding bottle”.
In immersion at children's level, the film shows their daily life in this specialized school.
We would have liked to hear more from the teachers - some of whom are also “dys” - who color the words and sing the multiplication tables to help the students.
EDITOR'S RATING: 3.5 / 5
“Papion en avier”
, French documentary (2020) directed by Marie Béchaux.
(52 mn)
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