Review: ‘Travolta et moi’
The monthly series 99 Minutes screened the obscure French TV movie last night at Nightclub 101.
Released the year before Pulp Fiction and directed by Patricia Mazuy, Travolta et moi (1993) follows Christine, a young French teenager, as she navigates her first romantic and sexual experiences. Released as an episode of the critically acclaimed French TV series All the Boys and Girls of Their Age, Travolta et moi is rarely screened, due to licensing issues with its stacked soundtrack, which features songs by the Bee Gees, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and more.
During the 1970s, Christine (Leslie Azzoulai) lives an idyllic French existence: Her parents run a bakery in the Champagne region, and she spends much of her time gushing over John Travolta, hot off the success of Saturday Night Fever. All that changes when she meets Nicolas (Julien Gerin) on a bus. After flirting, they agree to meet the next day in front of his school. Christine’s parents throw a wrench in her plans when they decide to take a trip to Vichy that day, leaving her to run the bakery in their absence. She gets her friend to tell Nicolas what happened, but he pretends that he doesn’t know what she’s talking about and shows up at the bakery anyway.
In true fuckboy fashion, Nicolas spends much of his screen time messing with her head, while Christine yearns for him like the immature moonstruck teenager she is; her carnal desire for Nicolas has eclipsed her love for Travolta. Forgetting all about the Fever heartthrob, Christine has found a new obsession in Nicolas and will do anything to be with him.
Travolta et moi aptly depicts how insane a first crush can make you feel and how it makes you want to set yourself on fire. Audiences might find themselves laughing—or cringing—at Christine, since first experiences with love are no laughing matter, portraying the irrational intensity of it.
Mazuy collaborated with cinematographer Eric Gautier, a master of capturing teenage angst. Deciding on a simple visual approach, the two created a melodramatic French take on a teen love story with shocking twists that will stun viewers.
Good to see you back.
Where can we see this, other than a nightclub?