Belmondo stirs emotion, opposition with realistic portrayal in ‘A Man and his Dog’

From the New York Times:

French mega-star Jean-Paul Belmondo, best known for his roles as an athletic and adventurous leading man, is now appearing in his first film since a stroke in 2001 paralyzed the right side of his body.

The 75-year-old Belmondo agreed to appear in “A Man and His Dog” only if it showed him as he is. “I hope,” he said, “to be an example for all. I hope.”

Public response to the film in Europe has been mixed, and some of the media criticism has been “savage.” An excerpt:

The most scathing critique came from the Swiss-based daily Le Matin, which called “A Man and His Dog” “absolutely despicable” and a “leaden melodrama” that subjects viewers to “an undignified Calvary that inspires only one embarrassing feeling: pity.”

The best way to deal with the film would be to boycott it, Le Matin added.

… For other Belmondo supporters and friends, the film is nothing less than an inspirational tour de force.

“He had been an athlete, and he showed incredible will in his struggle to recover,” Dr. Jean-Luc Isambert, a coordinator at the Le Normandy rehabilitation center in Granville, Normandy, where Mr. Belmondo did some of his rehabilitation work, said in an interview. “His comeback is a message of hope to anyone who has ever suffered the tragedy of a stroke.”

This entry was posted on Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at 1:04 pm and is filed under celebrities, entertainment, movies, NOT2BEMISSED, personal stories, public attitudes, stroke. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.