Following the elections

There are two impending elections that are on the lips of all French media. Monsieur R is not able to vote in either of them: he's not allowed to in the first and he didn't manage to get the mountain of paperwork sorted out in time for the second.  But that doesn't stop us following the unfolding drama around both of them.  The presidential elections are as yet a few months away, but the Oscars are just around the corner...

Jean Dujardin (left) with his Bafta for Best Actor. Source BBC

The silent film The Artist, which by now needs no introduction, has again scooped up an armful of awards at the British Bafta ceremony this week, including Best Actor for Jean Dujardin.  He's not very well known here, but he's a household name in France, partly for the daily television show he starred in with his now wife, Alexandra Lamy (she's the one sitting next to him at all the award ceremonies).  The programme was called Un Gars et Une Fille and is one of the funniest television shows that I have ever watched in my life.  Every evening I would sit down and watch the 6 minute episodes that centred around the life of a couple: on holiday, in the kitchen, going shopping, etc.  We never saw any other actors, other characters would be seen from behind, only their voices bringing them to life.  I remain convinced that no knowledge of French is necessary for following and enjoying the episodes: anyone who has ever lived with someone or is married will identify with the situations of these pre-children thirty-something'ers.  You could probably turn the sound off and just enjoy watching the faces that Jean Dujardin pulls, conveying as much meaning as he does in The Artist.  If you're learning French, the added bonus is that the characters talk the way French people talk: the rhythm, intonations and slang are all what you will hear in the street or cafés.  

We'll definitely be tuning in to get the results of the Oscars and if we could, we'd vote for Jean...allez Loulou!