- Actors: Catherine Deneuve, William Hurt, Bernard Le Coq, Hélène Fillières, Gilbert Melki
- Directors: Tonie Marshall
- Writers: Tonie Marshall, Anne-Louise Trividic
- Producers: Alain Peyrollaz, Andrés Vicente Gómez, Callum Greene, Daniel Louis, Denise Robert
- Format: Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
- Language English, French
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.66:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Fox Lorber
- DVD Release Date: 15 Feb 2005
- Run Time: 90 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- ASIN: B0006TPDWK
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 153,649 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film is incredibly enjoyable and improves on repeat viewings. It works well as a Romantic Comedy but on other levels as well. It is also a meditation on the connection that audiences can have to the cinema and films. It makes continual reference to the film An Affair to Remember, as it is the character Fannette's favourite film. Fannette is played by Catherine Deneuve, and there is no denying that it is her film, she is in every scene, and so it helps to be a fan, though who isnt? She is a brilliant actress that is absorbing to watch. The film starts in french, but after half an hour or so the film moves to america and is spoken in english. This DVD has english subtitles, a making of documentary - which is more a discussion by the director Tonie Marshall but it is very informative as to how she wanted the film to feel. I would recommed this film to anybody, and if at 1st you dont like it, which im sure you will, watch it again after you have heard Marshalls discussion,makes you think again about the film. Brilliant!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
7 reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
First Loves, Memory, and Fantasy versus Reality
27 Feb 2005
Format:DVD
NEAREST TO HEAVEN ('Au plus près du paradis') is in many ways a simple old-fashioned melodrama - but with a delectable twist. Writers Anne-Louise Trividic and Tonie Marshall (who also directs) have created a tale of lost first love that follows a woman through her life, and ultimately becomes an obsession.
Fanette (Catherine Deneuve, as luminously beautiful and sensuous as she approaches 60 as ever) is an art historian working on a book project for which she must fly to New York to obtain photographs of the subject artist's work. Fanette is successful but has a distance in her emotional makeup that surfaces when she hears from an old friend Bernard (Bernard Le Coq) that her first love Philippe is in town (Paris) for a class reunion. Fanette begins to imagine she sees Philippe in cafes, and in movie houses (especially in a theater where she repeatedly views her favorite film "An Affair to Remember"). Ready to leave for New York she finds a note from Philippe who asks her to meet him at an appointed hour at the Empire State Building (!).
In New York she meets Matt (William Hurt), the photographer assigned to Fanette's task. Matt is wise, attracted to Fanette, and though Fanette is attracted to Matt, she still obsesses about her upcoming reunion with Philippe. Of course, as in the movie, Fanette waits atop the Empire State Building until the appointed hour on the night she is to meet Philippe, and when he of course doesn't appear...well, see the film to appreciate the ending.
On the surface this film is a bit corny and contrived, but in the hands of actors like Deneuve and Hurt the psychological implications of the plot are more profound and even sincerely touching. The ultimate drive of the movie is an examination of the obsessive powers first love affairs have over us and how the passage of time alters memory into the fantasy that we can actually return to the early moments of bliss. An interesting twist is the fact that while the story is in Paris, the film is shot in French and when the story shifts to New York the film is in English. This may annoy some viewers, but it is a bit more in keeping with the touch of verismo that prevents this film from being JUST an old-fashioned melodrama. And if for no other reason to see it, the film further documents the timeless beauty and talent of Catherine Deneuve. Grady Harp, February 2005.
Fanette (Catherine Deneuve, as luminously beautiful and sensuous as she approaches 60 as ever) is an art historian working on a book project for which she must fly to New York to obtain photographs of the subject artist's work. Fanette is successful but has a distance in her emotional makeup that surfaces when she hears from an old friend Bernard (Bernard Le Coq) that her first love Philippe is in town (Paris) for a class reunion. Fanette begins to imagine she sees Philippe in cafes, and in movie houses (especially in a theater where she repeatedly views her favorite film "An Affair to Remember"). Ready to leave for New York she finds a note from Philippe who asks her to meet him at an appointed hour at the Empire State Building (!).
In New York she meets Matt (William Hurt), the photographer assigned to Fanette's task. Matt is wise, attracted to Fanette, and though Fanette is attracted to Matt, she still obsesses about her upcoming reunion with Philippe. Of course, as in the movie, Fanette waits atop the Empire State Building until the appointed hour on the night she is to meet Philippe, and when he of course doesn't appear...well, see the film to appreciate the ending.
On the surface this film is a bit corny and contrived, but in the hands of actors like Deneuve and Hurt the psychological implications of the plot are more profound and even sincerely touching. The ultimate drive of the movie is an examination of the obsessive powers first love affairs have over us and how the passage of time alters memory into the fantasy that we can actually return to the early moments of bliss. An interesting twist is the fact that while the story is in Paris, the film is shot in French and when the story shifts to New York the film is in English. This may annoy some viewers, but it is a bit more in keeping with the touch of verismo that prevents this film from being JUST an old-fashioned melodrama. And if for no other reason to see it, the film further documents the timeless beauty and talent of Catherine Deneuve. Grady Harp, February 2005.
11 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Do not listen to the other reviews...
8 Sep 2007
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have genuine espect for the collective amazon.com reviewers. But this time, I was misled and I write because I don't want you to be.
Catherine Deneuve is not 'approaching 60' in this movie; she is over 63. That's the least of what is wrong here as I would love, as one who is her age to see some realism about women in their sixties, born in the early 40's. 1943 to be precise.
This is one of the last three Deneuve movies, and I've seen them all, where she is what's wrong, rather than what is right with the film.
She is overweight yet always moves as if highly unconfortable about it. She had a horrid face lift, can't imagine why, and her lips curl into a snarl that is when you are allowed to see her face, a face I have always loved. In "Nearest to Heaven" she is most often filmed from behind or in a blurry light and I, her age, felt her immense discomfort throughout.
Even worse is the total absence of chemistry with William Hurt, none. And that's the core of the story, CHEMISTRY. Even worse than all the above is the way this story does not move, does not make any sense, and is the type of film suited to a 23 year old love lorn and miserable girl rather than a woman in her sixties without any, not one whit, of maturity. Deneuve plays a girl whose unattractive and boy crazy.
I have adored Catherine Deneuve's films from "Belle de Jour" all the way through "Indochine" and the wonderful if sad "Dancer in the Dark." I don't have any idea why she chose radical face lifts that completely ruins her looks, and even more: her expessions. But for sure, this make over has ruined her ability and agility with acting. Tragique mais vrai.
What I totally do not get are the below reviews. They misled me into buying this most uncomfortable film. Please believe me I never come here to diss a book or a film but this is astonishingly mis-leading, these 4.5 reviews. Do not even look at this movie once, and if you do, please write your review.
Catherine Deneuve is not 'approaching 60' in this movie; she is over 63. That's the least of what is wrong here as I would love, as one who is her age to see some realism about women in their sixties, born in the early 40's. 1943 to be precise.
This is one of the last three Deneuve movies, and I've seen them all, where she is what's wrong, rather than what is right with the film.
She is overweight yet always moves as if highly unconfortable about it. She had a horrid face lift, can't imagine why, and her lips curl into a snarl that is when you are allowed to see her face, a face I have always loved. In "Nearest to Heaven" she is most often filmed from behind or in a blurry light and I, her age, felt her immense discomfort throughout.
Even worse is the total absence of chemistry with William Hurt, none. And that's the core of the story, CHEMISTRY. Even worse than all the above is the way this story does not move, does not make any sense, and is the type of film suited to a 23 year old love lorn and miserable girl rather than a woman in her sixties without any, not one whit, of maturity. Deneuve plays a girl whose unattractive and boy crazy.
I have adored Catherine Deneuve's films from "Belle de Jour" all the way through "Indochine" and the wonderful if sad "Dancer in the Dark." I don't have any idea why she chose radical face lifts that completely ruins her looks, and even more: her expessions. But for sure, this make over has ruined her ability and agility with acting. Tragique mais vrai.
What I totally do not get are the below reviews. They misled me into buying this most uncomfortable film. Please believe me I never come here to diss a book or a film but this is astonishingly mis-leading, these 4.5 reviews. Do not even look at this movie once, and if you do, please write your review.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Quel dommage...One of Deneuve's worst!
11 Mar 2009
Format:DVD
I must say that I agree with everything readernyc said about this film (facelift comments aside)! As a truly devout Deneuve fan, I was thoroughly disappointed with the slow, meaningless "plot" and (lack of)chemistry between the actors (and why William Hurt??!!). Yes, Ms. Deneuve is still beautiful, as always, but there are plenty of Deneuve films much more worthy of your dollar!
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