"It's a pleasure to encounter a confectionary love story in which a man and woman of age and experience discover feelings that youth, more and more, has a patent on in Hollywood." Owen Gleiberman ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY "An unabashed chick flick that guys can enjoy." Philip Wuntch DALLAS MORNING NEWS "Slender but surprisingly smart and pleasing." Michael Wilmington CHICAGO TRIBUNE "A perfect date movie for jaded Francophiles." Erich Scholz CITYSEARCH "Excellent fluff français, leavened with charm, wit and smart observation about the way we love now." Ella Taylor L.A. WEEKLY

"Charming in its predictability, yet not without its pleasures. The leads share a very casual chemistry, an odd couple that refreshingly isn't at odds with each other." Sean O'Connell FLIPSIDE MOVIE EMPORIUM "Manages to surprise & absorb the viewer in ways that your typical 'meet cute' romance never would." Roger Moore ORLANDO SENTINEL "A romantic comedy with just enough heart and soul to keep us flying." Bruce Kirkland JAM! MOVIES "If you're a sucker for a good love story, "Jet Lag" will fill your heart with joy. A delightful experience and one for the romantic at heart." Richard Surfield THE MOVIE PAGES "Jet Lag flies in as a very soft bird, but its feathers are pleasing." David Elliott SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE "Irresistibly enchanting and smartly sexy." MaryAnn Johanson FLICK FILOSOPHER

At A Glance

"A peppy romantic trifle from France that rises above the mundane on the strength of its beautifully detailed lead performances." Stephen Holden, NEW YORK TIMES

It's a real pleasure to come across a delightful little film such as "Jet Lag". It's one of the joys of doing what I do. Sure it's predictable and sure you can see where it's heading, but it is done so well you really don't give a hoot. "Jet Lag" is an infectious romantic comedy starring the beautiful Juliette Binoche ["Chocolat"] and the rugged Jean Reno ["The Crimson Rivers"]. Now I can feel my ears burning already. Some of you readers are questioning, wondering, trying to imagine, Jean Reno in the lead of a romantic comedy. I know. I know. Just what I thought too. But let me assure you that these two will charm the socks off you. Both characters are worlds apart yet somehow they manage to, not only bond with themselves, but with the audience. It's as though they are being willed on somehow by our desire to see them really hit it off. Their situation is tricky but not as tricky as that of Director and co-writer Danièle Thompson. You see Danièle had originaly perceived "Jet Lag" as a film revolving around an American man meeting a Frenchwoman at Charles de Gaulle airport. The reasoning behind that was it could become an American production. After going through numerous drafts the script Danièle recalls, “I noticed all the little traps the writers kept falling into. They were scared to maintain a unity of place,” she said. “The characters wandered all over Paris; however, the originality and the difficulty of the project resides in the fact that the story takes place in an airport between two people.” After her son Christopher read the draft script it was decided to scrap it. After filming finished on "La Bûche", Danièle approached her son asking him to collaborate on a new script. It meant major changes including keeping the focus on the airport, having the lead man as a Frenchman living in America, and focussing on the internal journey taken by the two characters. "My film is about an attraction, which is almost the opposite of desire. Desire is simple and plain. It hits you, it’s brutal, it can last a night or more, and it doesn’t necessarily lead to love. Attraction is a labyrinth. It’s nebulous. If attraction is combined with desire, it can become something major," she explained. One of the successes derived from changing the script is that of making the characters complete opposites of each other. So how did Jean Reno get the part of Felix, a somewhat neurotic, self entangled Frenchman living in America? And how did they manage to keep the 'frenchness' in his character? Was it the fact that they had both lived extensively in the USA and were aware of the influence of change? "In every country in the world, you come across French people who reject their origins but who make their Frenchness their business or the basis for their success," Danièle explains. “Félix has made his fortune in French cooking overseas, but he has lost touch with his roots. He’s cut off from his family. He’s dazed and confused when he meets Rose and it’s not just the jet lag. He’s at a crucial point in his life, his love life’s nose-dived, the future’s unknown.” That is the common thread between both Felix and Rose. They are vastly different personality-wise and both are uncertain about the future. What was it that attracted Juliette Binoche to take the role of Rose, a prize winning beautician who has walked out on her booyfriend and is heading to Acapulco? After all it has been some time since Juliette Binoche appeared in a comedy. Well, it seems she was eager to return to the genre provided the script was right. "I laughed a lot when I read the script, and being in a comedy was a challenge for me,” she says. "And, for the first time I got to be talkative in a film!" And did she find her character Rose a fascinating one? Particularly her transformation from hiding herself behind her makeup? “It’s fascinating to see women wearing make-up as if it were a mask," she said. "You wonder who is behind it. When you scratch the surface a little bit, you find vulnerability and humanity." And was there anything else she discovered about Rose? “Danièle and I established that Rose’s grandmother was a hairdresser, and Rose spent most of her time with her grandmother when her parents weren’t available. The smells of the grandmother’s shop, the clients chatting, and the warmth that came from it all became comforting for her. From that," she says, "I understood how she could come from communist parents and grow up to be a beautician." And both characters, Felix and Rose evolve in a delightful way, don't they? "I like the evolution of both characters, Felix and Rose: bumping into one another makes them both change. They have to make compromises, and their confrontation is a catalyst for change," she said. "I find it an optimistic film in that sense. Rose has the enthusiasm of someone who’s not blasé and hasn’t been exposed to luxury, which makes her very endearing. In the end, she stands up for herself and finds the courage to be herself." They both do. The result is a very satisfy experience for the viewer. "JET LAG" was Directed by Danièle Thompson ["La Folie des Grandeurs" 1970, “Cousin Cousine” 1975, “Paparazzi” 1997 and La Bûche 1999 ] who made a phenomenal debut with the 1966 film “Don’t Look Now We’re Being Shot At” which she co-wrote with her father, the famous French comedy director, Gérard Oury. The comedy has remained France’s top grossing film for the past 30 years
"Jet Lag" was co-written by Danièle Thompson and her son Christopher Thompson ["The Luzhin Defense", "Caged Hearts" and "Total Eclipse"] whos acting credits earned him a César nomination for Most Promising Actor after he appeared in the 1994 film “Les Marmottes”.
"Jet Lag" was produced by Alain Sarde ["The Pianist", "The Piano Teacher" and "Mulholland Drive"] who began his cinematic career in 1977 as co-producer of Andre Techine’s “Barocco”. Since then he produced over 40 films establishing himself as one of Frances top Producers. Most recently he produced the film “The Pianist” which gaurnered an Academy Award for director Roman Polanski and actor Adrian Brodie.
"JET LAG" starsJean Reno ["The Big Blue" 1987, "Mission: Impossible" 1996, "Ronin" 1998 and "The Crimson Rivers" 2000 ] who has appeared alongside Robert DiNero, Tom Cruise and Rosanna Arquette, Juliette Binoche ["The English Patient" 1997, "Chocolat" 2001] whos first starring role was in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1985 film“Je vous salue Marie”. Since then she has appeared in many films including ones which earned her critical acclaim. Films such as "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" [1988] with Daniel Day Lewis, “Wuthering Heights” [1991] with Ralph Fiennes, "Damage" [1992] with Jeremy Irons and "A Couch in New York" [1995] with William Hurt. Their "Jet Lag" co-star is Sergi Lopez ["Harry, He’s Here to Help", "Dirty Pretty Things" and "An Affair of Love"].
Film Trivia. Jean reno was actually born Juan Moreno on July 30th, 1948 in Casablanca, Morocco to Spanish parents. He settled in France at the age of 17 and began studying drama. His film credits include the first major production of the legendary monster “Godzilla” [1998].
Juliette Binoche [ the daughter of an actress and sculptor] received the Best Supporting Actress at the National Board of Review, Silver Bear Award for Best Actress the Berlin Film Festival, and the Oscar for the Best Supporting Actress for her role in "The English Patient". Her role in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “Three Colors: Blue”, earned her the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival and the César Awards. In 2001, she starred in Lasse Halstrom’s “Chocolat”, earning her the "People’s Choice Award" for Best Actress from the European Film Academy and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. The Story

"Excellent fluff français, leavened with charm, wit and smart observation about the way we love now." Ella Taylor L.A.WEEKLY

Rose is running away from her boyfriend. Acapulco should be far enough. Felix is a successful businessman flying back to his girlfriend. She is outgoing, chatty, well groomed. He is travel weary, stressed and very withdrawn. Both will meet in the middle of an airline strike at a busy Paris airport. She needs to use a mobile phone. He offers her his. There is something stange about these two people thrust together in this crush of frustrated passengers awaiting news of a breakthrough in negotiations with the baggage handlers. Felix leaves but his flight is aborted on the runway. He returns to find she is still there waiting to depart. He is offered a room at the Airport Hilton. He kindly offers her a sanctuary, a place to rest and freshen up in. Life is about to take a dramatic turn for Rose and Felix. Cupid is aiming his arrows at their hearts. Will they stay? Will they go? Only their hearts can answer that. The Verdict "This is one film that won't leave you feeling 'jet lagged'. A sparkling, witty, wonderful film for all the romantics. "Jet Lag" glistens thanks to its two stars Binoche and Reno. It may be French but the language Rose and Felix are speaking is one universally understood, the language of love. "Jet Lag" provides all the 'right stuff'. A little French gem that truly fills the heart with laughter and love." The Cast

Juliette Binoche Jean Reno Sergi López Scali Delpeyrat Karine Belly Raoul Billerey Alice Taglioni Jérôme Keen Sébastien Lalanne Michel Lepriol M'bembo Laurence Colussi Lucy Harrison Rebecca Steele Thiam

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Rose Félix Sergio The Doctor Air France Attendant Félix's Father Ground Hostess The Concierge The Barman The Waiter Post Office Employee Hostess Hostess Hostess Hostess

The Crew Directed by Danièle Thompson Written by Christopher Thompson and Danièle Thompson Produced by Alain Sarde Executive Producer Christine Gozlan Original Music by Eric Serra Cinematography by Patrick Blossier Film Editing by Sylvie Landra Casting by Gérard Moulévrier Production Design by Michèle Abbé Costume Design by Elisabeth Tavernier Run Time 86 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright © 2003 - Miramax Film Corp - All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2003 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages- All Rights Reserved