13/04/2006

Shooting finished yesterday on Irrésistible [+see also:
trailer
film profile], the 12th feature by Pierre Jolivet, starring Sandrine Bonnaire, Vincent Lindon, François Berléand, Kad Merad and singer Liane Foly.

After exploring youth in Zim and Co [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which was shown in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, the filmmaker has now decided to make a romantic comedy from a script co-written with Simon Michael. The story revolves around a businessman who has everything he could dream of, except a woman. He falls in love with an artist but, to his disappointment, she resists his advances.

For the role of the rich, 43 year-old, lovesick businessman, Pierre Jolivet chose to work for the fifth time in a row with Lindon, who already starred in the director’s Fred, Ma Petite Entreprise, Le Frère Du Guerrier and Filles Uniques.

The famous 38-year-old ceramic artist for whom Lindon falls when he orders a fresco to decorate the hall of his company is played by Bonnaire. Bonnaire replaced Juliette Binoche at the last minute, who was taken up with the preparations of Toyer by Brian de Palma (a French/Italian co-production from Dino De Laurentiis Productions and Wild Bunch). François Berléand plays a private detective in charge of discovering why the ceramic artist lives alone and resists the businessman’s advances.

Shot in nine weeks in Paris and produced by Frédéric Bourboulon for Vendredi Film, the Irrésistible budget totalled €7.7m, including a €1.6m investment from TF1 Films Production (€300,000 in co-production and €1.3m in pre-sales).

Sold internationally by StudioCanal, the film will be released in France by Mars Distribution in the second half of 2006.

(Translated from French)