No. 28 (2019) Claire Darling. April 1st.

Film No 28 (2019) April 1st.  1:45 PM  PALACE VERONA, Paddington  Sydney. 

"How are you? Are you well? Am I a grandma? (Claire rattles off, erratically, a series of questions as she suddenly realised it is daughter Marie standing in front of her).

Catherine Deneuve takes on another made for Deneuve project. La Derniere Folie Claire Darling challenges Deneuve to convince us of her character's ailing mind. Darling is in the early stages of dementia, so given her complicated life as the wife of a successful local mine owner, her erratic behaviour is a shock for family and friends alike. The film opens with Claire, being helped by young men, clearing her house. She's put everything up for sale; garage sale style. We're talking valuable items of art, furniture, ornaments. Something is oddly awry with Claire's demeanor. She's convinced it's her last day. Slowly, and I mean slowly, flashbacks reveal parts of the puzzle that is the sum of Claire's contemporary existence. Her daughter Marie (Chiara Mastroianni) is essential to laying pieces to the puzzle as well, but it just screams "here, look we've found another way to show off France's cine icon, Cath Deneuve". It will have it's fans, I'm not one.  6GUMS.