Saint Amour is both one of the ten crus of Beaujolais and a charming little village.
I know it well, having traveled through this region of hills and vineyards with my family during my childhood, so close to Mâcon, my hometown. Morgon, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Brouilly… such evocative names for lovers of this light and fruity red wine.
Even today, I make an annual visit to this familiar little corner of France. I usually do it in joyful company, introducing friends from the South to the wine aromas, the beauty of the landscape, and the symbolism of the nearby Roche de Solutré.
Saint Amour is also the latest film by Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kerven, which I couldn’t miss seeing as soon as it was released, despite the presence in the cast of a certain Depardieu who gets on my nerves when he meddles in geopolitics.
Drenched road movie with the big “Gégé” as a fragile farmer, Benoît Poelvoorde as a neurotic drunkard, and young Vincent Lacoste as a philosopher taxi driver, let’s say it, the film is a pleasant surprise. In a few days, our three companions complete a wine route across France, allowing them to put their lives in order while overcoming their vulnerabilities.
Despite the presence of the legendary Andréa Ferréol, the story is by no means a Rabelaisian “Great Feast.” It’s more of a successful little moral tale, despite an over-the-top ending.
As the title might suggest, one of the main scenes takes place in Beaujolais (in Juliénas and not in Saint Amour, by the way!): an opportunity to appreciate the acting talents of Michel Houellebecq, priceless as a bed-and-breakfast host…
By a happy coincidence, I currently have Gabriel Chevallier’s Clochemerle as my bedside book, this amusing chronicle of a (fictional) village in Beaujolais that was very successful from the 1930s to the 1960s.
For wine, it is supposedly advised to drink “in moderation” (but you do what you want!); for the film and possibly the book, my recommendation is “without moderation!”
by Patrick Mottard
