Smoking/No Smoking


Smoking/No Smoking is a 1993 french cinematographic work consisting of two films, released separately the same day in theaters and which can be viewed in either order.
It was directed by Alain Resnais and written by Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri, from the play Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn. The film starred Pierre Arditi and Sabine Azéma.
It won the César Award for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation.

Plot

"Smoking" and "No Smoking" are two films which are based on closely connected plays. The original plays covered eight separate stories, which have been pared down to three each for these movies. At a certain point in the story of each segment, the five female characters and the four male characters have their lives skillfully recapped in terms of "what might have happened" if they had made or failed to make certain choices. For example, "No Smoking" focuses chiefly on the relationship between the mild-mannered Miles Coombes and his infinitely more aggressive and ambitious wife, Rowena.
The movies are set in the village of Hutton Buscel.
The narrator is voiced by Peter Hudson.

Cast

  • Sabine Azéma as Celia Teasdale / Sylvie Bell / Irene Pridworthy / Rowena Coombes / Josephine Hamilton
  • Pierre Arditi as Toby Teasdale / Miles Coombes / Lionel Hepplewick / Joe Hepplewick

Production

Principal photography began from 5 October 1992 to 22 February 1993.

Awards and nominations

Berlin Film Festival