Agnès Jaoui

Agnès Jaoui (born 19 October 1964) is a French actress, screenwriter, film director and singer.

Agnès Jaoui
Agnès Jaoui at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival
Background information
Born (1964-10-19) 19 October 1964
Antony, Hauts-de-Seine, France
GenresWorld music
Occupation(s)Actress, screenwriter, film director, singer

She frequently worked in collaboration with her former partner Jean-Pierre Bacri.

Life and career

Jaoui was born in Antony, Hauts-de-Seine, and is of Tunisian Jewish descent.[1] She is the daughter of Hubert Jaoui and Gyza Jaoui, who are both writers.[1] They moved to Paris when she was 8 years old. She started theatre when she was in high school at the Lycée Henri-IV in Paris.[1] She entered the Cours Florent when she was 15.[1] Patrice Chéreau, director of the Théâtre des Amandiers in Nanterre where she began attending drama classes in 1984, gave her a role in the film Hôtel de France in 1987. That same year, she also played in Harold Pinter's L'anniversaire beside Jean-Pierre Bacri, who would later become a faithful colleague and companion.[2]

Together Jaoui and Bacri wrote the play Cuisine et dépendances, which was adapted onscreen in 1992 by Philippe Muyl. In 1993, director Alain Resnais asked them to write an adaptation of Alan Ayckbourn's 8-part play Intimate Exchanges, which became the 2-part film Smoking/No Smoking. Thanks to this ironic diptych about free will and destiny, they won the César Award for Best Writing in 1994. But it is in 1996 that they came to know greater success with Cédric Klapisch's adaptation of their play Family Resemblances (Un air de famille) which showed their ability to observe and depict everyday life, and to criticize the social norms through a bitter and corrosive humor. Once again, they won the César Award for Best Writing in 1997 and this very same year they collaborated again with Alain Resnais for Same Old Song (On connaît la chanson) which they wrote but also interpreted: together, they won their third César Award for Best Writing, and Jaoui won her first César Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Jaoui directed her first feature film, The Taste of Others (Le Goût des autres, 2000, written with Jean-Pierre Bacri), which questions social-cultural identities. The film was a huge success in France and attracted 4 million spectators. It also won 4 César Awards in 2001 including Best Film and Best Writing, and also got nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2004, her second film as a director, Look at Me (Comme une image), co-written with Bacri, was selected for the Cannes Festival, and won the prize for Best Screenplay. She starred in the last Richard Dembo's film, La maison de Nina (2005) and then focused on music and released her album of Latin songs Canta (2006). She returned to the cinema industry two years later in 2008 with Let's Talk About the Rain (Parlez-moi de la pluie) and offered French humorist Jamel Debbouze a different role from what he was used to.

In 2012, Jaoui directed her latest film to date, Under the Rainbow (Au bout du conte), also co-written with Bacri. She revisits several fairy tales such as Cinderella, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood. It received acclaim —for originality and humor in the writing and dialogue— from critics and audiences.[3]

Music

Jaoui studied music in the conservatoire when she was 17, but did not start her career as a singer until 2006 when her first album Canta was released. It mixed several Latin music genres (such as flamenco, bolero, and bossa) and she sang exclusively in Spanish and Portuguese.[4] In 2007, it won the Victoire de la Musique award for "best traditional music album".

Jaoui's second album, Dans Mon Pays, was released in 2009. It also featured Latin sonorities and songs sang in Spanish and Portuguese, except for two songs in French.[5]

Personal life

Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri in 2013 at the première showing of Au bout du conte.

Jaoui is the daughter of Gyza Jaoui; a pioneering figure of transactional analysis, a form of psychotherapy initiated by Eric Berne. Jaoui has a brother, Laurent Jaoui, who is also a screenwriter and a director.

Jaoui was in a relationship with Jean-Pierre Bacri from 1987 to 2012.[2] Despite their breakup, the two decided to stay on good terms and to continue to work together.[6]

She adopted two children from Brazil in 2012.[7]

Filmography

As actress

YearEnglish titleOriginal titleRoleNotes
1983Le FauconSandra
1987Hôtel de FranceMadame Bouguereau
1987L'AmoureuseAgathe
1990IvanovBabakina
1991Canti
1993Cuisine et DépendancesCharlotte
1996Family ResemblancesUn air de familleBetty Ménard
1997Le DéménagementClaire
1997Same Old SongOn connaît la chansonCamille
1998Le CousinClaudine Delvaux
1999On The RunKristin
2000Une femme d'extérieurFrançoise
2000The Taste of OthersLe Goût des autresMani
200324 Hours in the Life of a Woman24 heures dans la vie d'une femmeMarie Collins Brown
2004The Role of Her LifeLe Rôle de sa vieElisabeth Baker
2004Nina's HouseLa Maison de NinaNina
2004Look at MeComme une imageSylvia Millet
2008Let's Talk About the RainParlez-moi de la pluieAgathe Villanova
2012The DandelionsDu vent dans mes molletsColette Gladstein
2013Under the RainbowAu bout du conteMarianne
2014The Easy Way OutL'Art de la fugueAriel
2015The Sweet EscapeComme un avionLaëtitia
2015I'm All YoursJe suis à vous tout de suiteSimone Belkacem
2017AuroreAurore
2018Best IntentionsLes Bonnes IntentionsIsabelle

As filmmaker

Year Title Credited as Notes
Director Screenwriter
1993 Cuisine et Dépendances Yes
1993 Smoking/No Smoking Yes
1996 Family Resemblances Yes
1997 Same Old Song Yes
2000 The Taste of Others Yes Yes
2004 Look at Me Yes Yes
2008 Let's Talk About the Rain Yes Yes
2013 Under the Rainbow Yes Yes
2014 The Easy Way Out Yes Script consultant
2017 Place publique Yes Yes starred as Helene

Discography

YearTitle
2006Canta
2009Dans Mon Pays
2015Nostalgias

Awards and nominations

YearAwardNominated workOriginal titleResult
1993César Award for Best WritingSmoking/No SmokingWon
1997César Award for Best WritingFamily ResemblancesUn air de familleWon
1997César Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated
1997Lumières Award for Best ScreenplayWon
1997César Award for Best WritingSame Old SongOn connaît la chansonWon
1998César Award for Best Supporting ActressWon
2000Lumières Award for Best FilmThe Taste of OthersLe Goût des autresWon
2000Lumières Award for Best DirectorWon
2000Lumières Award for Best ScreenplayWon
2000European Film Award for Best FilmNominated
2000European Film Award for Best ScreenwriterWon
2000Montreal World Film Festival - Grand Prix des AmériquesWon
2001César Award for Best FilmWon
2001César Award for Best WritingWon
2001César Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated
2001César Award for Best DirectorNominated
2001Academy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated
2001BIFA Award for Best Foreign Independent FilmNominated
2001Guldbagge Award for Best Foreign FilmNominated
2001René Clair AwardWon
2004Cannes Film Festival - Best ScreenplayLook at MeComme une imageWon[8]
2004European Film Award for Best ScreenwriterWon
2004European Film Award for Best DirectorNominated
2004London Film Critics' Circle Award for Screenwriter of the YearNominated
2005César Award for Best WritingNominated
2005Bodil Award for Best Non-American FilmWon
2007Victoires de la Musique — World music album of the yearCantaWon
2016César Award for Best Supporting ActressThe Sweet EscapeComme un avionNominated

References

  1. Klifa, Thierry (February 2000). "Agnès Jaoui: L'art de vivre". Studio magazine (153): 124–129. ISSN 0982-8354.
  2. Lorrain, François-Guillaume (11 September 2008). "Jaoui ne se laisse pas faire". Le Point. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  3. ""Au bout du conte", d'Agnès Jaoui, une comédie piquante très Jaoui-Bacri". Télérama.fr. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  4. ""Canta" ou la délicatesse d'Agnès Jaoui". Linternaute.com. February 2006. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  5. ""Dans mon pays", Agnès Jaoui y El Quintet Oficial". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  6. Amalric, Laurent (31 January 2013). "Le conte est bon à Six-Fours pour le duo Bacri-Jaoui". Nice-Matin. Archived from the original on 2014-03-26. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  7. Karelle, Fitoussi (26 August 2012). "Agnès Jaoui, la douceur de vivre". Paris Match. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  8. "Festival de Cannes: Look at Me". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
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