TIFF GUIDE

INTERVIEW

Marie-Josée Croze

Already much prized by Canadian filmmakers such as Denys Arcand, Atom Egoyan and Denis Villeneuve, Marie-Josée Croze has proved equally valuable to directors in Europe and the US since she moved from her native Montreal to Paris in 2003. Following up roles in several French hits and a scene-stealing turn in Steven Spielberg's Munich, she contributes another excellent performance in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (see review page 23), a major success at Cannes that's likely to be just as popular at TIFF. In Julian Schnabel's adaptation of the memoir of Jean-Dominique Bauby, a French writer and editor who suffered a debilitating stroke that left him paralyzed but for the use of his left eye, Croze plays the stern but encouraging speech therapist who teaches Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) how to communicate with the world. Since the camera often adopts Bauby's point of view, the role presented very unusual challenges. Croze spoke with Eye Weekly after the film's Cannes premiere in May.

Did you know Bauby's book before hearing about the film?
No. I got a phone call from my agent saying that Julian Schnabel wanted to see me for this film. I ran out and got the book and read it in a day. I was really moved by the story. And I loved Julian's film Before Night Falls so I was very happy he wanted me in the film.

Had you any idea that the role would require you to play directly to the camera so often rather than to another actor?
That was in the script but it was really difficult. You have no energy coming from something like a camera. You just give, give, give and have to use your imagination – everything is between you and you. The concentration is difficult. But I believed in the result when I saw the film. While we were shooting, I didn't know whether it was working or not. When you work with another actor, especially if you like the actor, you can see in his face if he believes you. You know that if you have a gun and he starts to laugh, you're not good. So the director has his opinion of your work but the first person to please is your partner. That's not possible if you're alone. I trusted Julian, but sometimes it wasn't very fun. But I'm happy about the film now.

The film very much demonstrates the importance of appreciating what you have now since you never know when it might be taken away. Is that a sentiment you take to heart?
I think The Barbarian Invasions had some of the same message: to enjoy life and your friends and the people you love. And I have to believe in what I'm doing. I'm not an actress who's ambitious about her career. I won't do some script that I know is bad or is maybe just about some guy who kills people or something like that. I want to feel like I'm making the world better, if only a little bit.

JASON ANDERSON

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