Maman und ich (Me, Myself and Mum, Les Garcons et Guillaume, à Table)
France/Belgium 2013

Opening 5 Jun 2014

Directed by: Guillaume Gallienne
Writing credits: Guillaume Gallienne, Claude Mathieu
Principal actors: Guillaume Gallienne, André Marcon, Françoise Fabian, Nanou Garcia, Diane Kruger

Guillaume Gallienne is a member of the Comédie Francaise, and for all intents and purposes this is his autobiography. He recalls his experiences growing up, the intense relationship with his mother (he plays both himself and the part of his mother!) and his love of women general.

After having had two sons, Maman really wanted a girl, so she treats Guillaume like one. He loves dressing up and doing girly things to please her, and he always gets a separate holiday so that he doesn't have to go on sport-oriented vacations with his brothers and father. Fencing is as far as he gets with athletics. One summer he is sent to learn Spanish in Spain and learns to dance the Sevillana from the woman with whom he boards – not even realizing that he has been taught the women’s part. He goes through periods wondering whether he is gay and who he will find to love. His search for himself and his sexual orientation consists of many funny coming of age episodes.

This is a movie adaptation of his one-man play in French. What really is fun is that the sequences in Spain and Germany (with a cameo appearance by Diane Kruger) are not subtitled, so if one does not know Spanish and German (as Guillaume does not), then one really can relate to what Guillaume himself is experiencing. (Thelma Freedman)