Claude Lelouch may never be the most profound director in the world, but he sure knows how to whip up a catchy distraction. And Now Ladies & Gentlemen finds Lelouch in a skippy, unpredictable mode. Jeremy Irons, who seems to be enjoying himself enormously, is a thief who sets out on a sailing voyage, only to fetch up in Morocco after he blacks out at the helm. There he meets sultry singer Patricia Kaas (her first acting role); it turns out they both might have brain tumors. Did someone say this is a romantic comedy? It is, complete with musical numbers (Kaas glides through a cozy cross-section of French pop music, including the theme from A Man and a Woman, Lelouch's '60s smash). The movie's all over the place, and it spins its wheels for the final half-hour, but there are certain kinds of romantics who will find this sort of thing irresistible. --Robert Horton

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As with all of Lelouche's films there are episodes that blur dreamlife with reality and in this film he uses this technique to perfection. Much of what really happens is left to the individual's perception. The settings for this escapade are truly splendid - Morocco has never looked so dreamy, so dramatic, so sun-drenched and inviting. The real joy of this film are the performances of Irons and Kaas and the added pleasure of seeing old (!) faces from the past such as Claudia Cardinale - no longer the beauty she once was! Patricia Kaas is a very fine singer and her renditions of old standards take on new substance in her sensitive interpretations. The only flaw in this film is that it is filmed in both English and French and the dubbing barely matches the subtitles. That is very distracting. But forgive that and you have a film that will let you take flight - lightly as with an elegant French aperitif!

20 of 20 found the following review helpful:

Glorious cinematography, compelling actingJan 12, 2004
By K J Foehr
One of the most cinematically beautiful films you will see this or any year. It is a treat for serious cinephiles; but is probably too subtle and slow for most mainstream tastes. Jeremy Irons is wonderful, as usual, and Patricia Kass is hauntingly beautiful and compelling. The story is thought provoking at times, slightly quirky, and implausible with moments of subtle humor; but it is all thoroughly enjoyable to watch. The script too is mostly perspicacious with a few memorable lines such as, "Life is a deep sleep. And love is the dream." The film is mostly in French with some English. The subtitles are easy to read on the widescreen DVD format.

17 of 18 found the following review helpful:

Simple, Complex, DelightfulAug 25, 2003
By Robert Potter
I'm sorry this film disappeared from the theatres so quickly. I wanted to see it again and take my friends. The story is a new twist on the old theme of the erudite jewel thief. The balanced mixture of French and English languages was stimulating and pleasing for me. I felt the love story was just the right blend of disappointment and satisfaction. The location shooting in France and Morocco entertaining. Jeremy Irons' acting was superb. The story and dialogue over all was multi-layered and mysterious - an experience worth repeating.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

An international jewel thief and a chanteuse have blackouts in commonJan 06, 2006
By Lawrance M. Bernabo
Pay no attention to the title of this film because the more I think about it the only purpose it has is to put this at or towards the top of any alphabetical listing of the films of director Claude Lelouch ("A Man and a Woman") or star Jeremy Irons. So without regard for the film's title we are introduced to Valentin Valentin (Irons), a jewel thief who comes up with creative but simple ways of robbing jewelry stores. But then Valentin's life starts to come apart. His relationship with his lover, Françoise (Alessandra Martines), has gone sour, he is suddenly feeling guilty about every crime he has ever committed, and to top things off he is suddenly experiencing blackouts. Meanwhile, in another part of Europe a French chanteuse, Jane Lester (Patricia Kaas, a real-life French chanteuse whose songs provide a counterpoint to the story so pay attention to the lyrics each and every time she sings), also has just ended her romantic relationship and is also suffering from unexplained blackouts, usually while singing.

Jane travels to Morocco because assuming the worse from the blackouts she decides to seek healing instead of going to a brain surgeon. Valentin also ends up in Morocco, literally by accident, but their common ailment has cause to bring them together under the misery loves company rubric. He is staying at the same hotel where she is singing, and when Madame Falconetti (Claudia Cardiale) reports the theft of her jewelry, Valentin becomes the obvious suspect. To make things interesting, when he says he had a blackout and does not know if he did the robbery or not, he could be telling the truth. Then again...

This is a story for grown ups, mainly because Irons bring a certain gravity to the proceedings because of his age. The fact that his criminal career rests on his brain and that is what is betraying him lends a irony to the tale as well. Then there is a question of whether or not anything we are seeing represents the blackout themselves. The two best parts of this 2002 film are the bank robberies and the songs, even if the former involve people not recognizing Irons in disguise and the later are sung in French (with substitles), and they tend to make the rest of this slowly developing film seem even slower in comparison.

Be forewarned that "And Now...Ladies & Gentlemen" is one of those films that you are probably going to need to watch twice to make sense of it all. That is not because it is confusing per se, but rather that the ending is open to interpretation depending on how you read the various layers that Lelouch reveals during the final real. For me the journey was more interesting than the destination since I am not sure how much projecting I was doing on what was happening at the end. Still, this is a change of pace film and if you are looking for something different you could do a lot worse. Also, there is ample evidence that this film really resonates with some viewers, which would be great if you are one of those people.

14 of 16 found the following review helpful:

SHEER PLEASUREJan 12, 2004
By Gail Cooke
We first saw this film in a movie theatre and we were so captivated by it that we ordered the DVD. Granted, Jeremy Irons was my impetus for going to the movie but what a treat to discover Patricia Kaas. Her voice is unbelievably beautiful plus she is a gorgeous chanteuse.

The scenery, especially in Morocco, is beautiful. The minor roles are extremely well cast from a lascivious bartender to a wealthy ladies man. A well written and witty script adds to the enjoyment.

Granted, the ending does seem a mite contrived but what a pleasure it was to get there.

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