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Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black opened impressively in Australian cinemas ten days ago. Benefiting from glowing reviews and copious publicity, the 1959-set comedy-drama looks set for a long run. Louise Keller of Urban Cinefile wrote, "One of the best lines (about men) goes something like this: 'We don't understand them and they don't understand themselves... they can't manage on their own...' Then there's the lure of glamour and exotic influences of 'continental types', like Magda's Hungarian husband (Vincent Perez, charismatic)... Casting is faultless. Cinematographer Peter James captures the imagery with style, while Christopher Gordon's buoyant score keeps the mood alive." Angus Tonkin of Film Blerg also gave praise with "Angourie Rice already has a formidable list of credits,  and here she proves her credentials as a lead. Bright and appealing, she also receives some beautiful guidance from Ormond, who steals most of the best lines along with her screen husband played by Vincent Perez." Whether or not it receives US distribution is up in the air. Variety writes, "'Ladies' should register as pleasant enough entertainment for general domestic audiences, predominantly older females, although offshore prospects look iffy."

On September 14th Vincent and Karine attended The Kering Heritage Days Opening Night in Paris.

The following photos were taken of Karine when she participated in the Cabourg Film Festival as a jury member in June.

Vincent is now in the US visiting New England today, most likely because his son Pablo is now attending Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. Apparently, they have an excellent basketball program. Twin sister Tess will certainly miss him. I love this sweet photo of her, most likely taken by her photographer father.

Last night LADIES IN BLACK premiered at the State Theatre in Sydney. September 20th is the actual date of its theatrical release when more reviews will be available. Travis Johnson of Filmink writes, "It’s not so much a journey to be taken as an experience to luxuriate in, taking in the detailed period setting, vibrant camera work, gorgeous fashions, and winning, charismatic performances... The men are sidelined a little but that’s to be expected and besides, performers the calibre of Corr and French actor Vincent Perez, who plays Magda’s husband Stefan, are smart enough to know their job here is to accentuate the women at the centre of the film, bringing colour and character but never overshadowing the real stars." Producer Sue Milliken agrees pointing out that it is often difficult for Australian films to connect with audiences internationally but she hopes the film's inherent charm and the internationally-known cast including Julia Ormond, Vincent Perez, Ryan Corr and rising star Angourie Rice will resonate.

PARIS —  Gerard Depardieu, a versatile international actor whose career has spanned more than 40 years and 200 movies, has been accused by a young actress of sexually assaulting her on two occasions earlier this month at his home in the fashionable Sixth Arrondissement, the French news media reported... A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said a preliminary investigation into the allegations of rape and sexual assault was underway. If the investigation warrants a formal inquiry, the case will proceed to the next step. The prosecutor’s office would not comment further and did not name the woman who had made the accusations. Mr. Depardieu is the second prominent French film figure to be accused of rape this year, after the director Luc Besson. The reaction to the well-documented accusations against Mr. Besson has been relatively muted when compared with similar charges against American celebrities.

Strangely, Vincent's wife Karine Silla has a child by Depardieu and his sister-in-law Virginie Silla has three children by Besson.

The biggest horse show in the world, the CHIO in Aachen, not only offers equestrian sport par excellence, but also a number of social highlights. The top event was the CHIO Media Night on July 17th. Prof. Hermann Bühlbecker, sole owner of the Lambertz Group and a main sponsor of this glamorous gala and co-host, welcomed many national and international celebrities from sports, show business and politics. Among the guests were Vincent and Natassja Kinski.

I've posted a new photo gallery of a book event that took place on May 31 at the La Librairie du Globe in Paris. "Un voyage en Russie", published by Delpire Editor, was presented with both Vincent and writer Olivier Rolin in attendance. Vincent's favorite quote about Russia is "The hearts of Russians are as vast as Russia" and to represent this vastness, the authors decided to cross the country of Arkhangelsk in the North, Astrakhan in the South, Saint Petersburg, in the West, and Ulan-Oude in the East. To make the portraits, Vincent was inspired by the approach of the great German photographer of the twentieth century August Sander, whom he admires. Like the latter, to get into the heart of what is called cultural identity, Vincent met representatives of different trades: carpenters, peasants, sailors, mechanics, fishermen, artists, waiters, but also characters more exotic like the Cossacks, the shamans, the Buddhist monks or a "tree-man", pleading for the plant cause in the streets of Arkhangelsk. The book is not meant to be a tourist guide. It cannot satisfy travelers looking for curiosities or beautiful postcards. But it can serve as a guide helping to break through the wall of mistrust and ignorance of this country that represents a wide range of peoples, cultures and religions.

Here is a poster from his upcoming book exposition: