Illusions perdues / Lost Illusions

The young poet Lucien de Rubempré is head over heels in love with the Baroness Louise de Bargeton. In order to avoid the scandal of being an unfit couple, the two flee to Paris, where he soon loses her favour. He takes revenge by writing banal pamphlets that soon cause a sensation in the salons of the capital, and arouse the interest of a major publisher. Lucien soon becomes a noble fountainhead of the nascent liberal press, but is disillusioned to discover that it is corrupt and venal. Director Xavier Giannoli has masterfully filmed Honoré de Balzac's original – and highly topical – template as a swan song to the literary establishment and journalism. Gérard Depardieu, Vincent Lacoste and Xavier Dolan shine alongside Benjamin Voisin and Cécile de France.