Francois Truffaut's Mississippi Mermaid is a film I've wanted to see for years. Featuring Catherine Deneuve, Jean - Paul Belmondo and the great director behind the camera himself, well, who wouldn't want to see it? And the first third of the movie, set on Reunion Island, didn't let me down. I've seen plenty of movies in my time, but don't think I've ever seen one set on the French territory in the Indian Ocean. The storyline too, about a tobacco planter who engages a mail order bride is intriguing in a time and place far removed from Tinder. It becomes even more so, when she arrives and he discovers it is not the same woman he expected, but he marries her anyway.
We are gifted some telling footage of the tropical island, a potted colonial history of its relationship with France and an extended amplified soundtrack consisting of a mixture of bird and animal exotic sounds. Unfortunately as we descend deeper into the story Truffaut soon relies on colossal contrivances to propel things along.
Belmondo's character Louis, says early on that he didn't fully reveal facets of himself in early correspondence, so as to sensibly establish some secure boundaries. Yet, it would appear in the film that barely a day or two after getting married, he gives his new wife, (Deneuve playing) Julie, open slather on his personal banking and business accounts. Then after Julie subsequently cleans him out (with no-one in the bank obviously batting an eye - lid) and disappears into the ether, of all the women in the world, he just happens to see her on TV and tracks her down quicker than you can say bloodhound. And narrative wise things don't get any better after both individuals reunite.
Twists occur, but again, they appear out of character and forced. Deneuve, at the height of her beauty, is too chic, cultured and well - spoken to play a supposedly poorly educated and raised grifter. Belmondo, never strikes one as a vengeful suitor, capable of murder. However this is the sort of unbelievable stuff Truffaut expects us to swallow.
Miscast as they are, I can't say I didn't appreciate seeing the 2 charismatic French stars, but I have to sadly reiterate, that in my opinion, things fall rather flat, after the lead characters leave their initial tropical locales. However might I suggest that watching Mississipi Mermaid is a much better venture, than chasing up its far inferior 2001 remake Original Sin, with Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas.
