“Call My Agent!” breakout Camille Cottin readies for an entirely new challenge in the upcoming adaptation of “Les Misérables.”
Directed by Fred Cavayé, it takes on Victor Hugo’s best-known novel, which also tempted Tom Hooper back in 2023. Cottin will play antagonist Madame Thénardier, married to Monsieur Thénardier (Benjamin Lavernhe) and asked to take care of the daughter of ill-fated Fantine (Noémie Merlant).
“It’s definitely faithful to the original,” she says about the period drama. “It’s almost a mythological part because she and her husband are the real monsters of literature. It’s challenging, because it’s been explored many times and very brilliantly. I’m stressed. But, you know, why not [do it]?”
According to Cottin, Cavayé had a “fresh point of view” when approaching the well-known story. Vincent Lindon and Tahar Rahim also star, as Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert respectively.
“In the book, it’s Madame Thénardier’s husband who pulls all the strings. Now, the wife is the brain. They’re not very intelligent, but let’s say she’s the one making all the decisions. [Fred Cavayé] is reinventing the mechanisms of how they operate, this monster with two heads. I’m working with an actor I really admire [Lavernhe] and I think that together, we’ll create a whole entity.”
As reported by Variety, the film – sold by Studiocanal – has already secured multiple territories, with the company’s Anne Cherel and Chloe Marquet praising its “new, realistic interpretation.”
Hugo’s work isn’t the only one attracting new filmmakers these days, with Alexandre Dumas getting new fans thanks to new versions of “The Count of Monte Cristo” and “The Three Musketeers.”
“In France, we have all these masterpieces, and our culture is full of treasures. Our legacy might be our Marvel,” says Cottin. “We’re very, very lucky and we know it.”
She adds, “After COVID, the platforms took over, but [producers] stood their ground. The people in the French industry, the state, are really fighting to preserve culture and make sure that making a profit won’t be the only goal. Each time it’s being endangered, people defend it. Maybe that’s what makes French cinema so alive.”
In the meantime, the actor is also readying for “Rembrandt” – “I play a nuclear physicist who’s struck by a painting of Rembrandt at the Tate Gallery” – and Locarno opener “In the Land of Arto” by Tamara Stepanyan, where she acted alongside Zar Amir (“Holy Spider”).
“I still feel very young regarding cinema. There are still so many things I’m excited about. I feel like I’ve done so little,” she says.
“Things are being filmed everywhere around the world – all these platforms have opened doors to international fiction. You can be ‘international’ while staying in your own country and filming in your own language, which is kind of perfect – also from my perspective as a mother. We don’t need to abandon our homes anymore.”
Cottin also delved into her experiences of being a mother in Nathan Ambrosioni’s “Out of Love,” recently awarded at Karlovy Vary Film Festival. In the intimate drama, she plays Jeanne, still reeling after a breakup. Jeanne never wanted children – that’s what drove a wedge between her and her wife. Now, her estranged sister shows up at her doorstep, with her two kids. And then disappears, forcing her to take care of them.
“[Nathan] is not like the others. He’s very young, queer and has so many ideas. From the first movie we’ve made together, it has been a real artistic crush. We know each other well, so we can have a real conversation. He was very open about this character, and we could build it together,” she says about Ambrosioni. Previously, they collaborated on “Toni.”
Jeanne isn’t thrilled about having to suddenly care for two children. But Cottin understood her immediately, she says.
“I completely identify with the feeling of injustice, the anger, the feeling of being trapped because she’s a woman. You understand she’s split with her girlfriend because she wanted a family and children, and now she has to pay for her sister’s mistakes. It’s interesting, because it’s about motherhood, but also about sisterhood and yes, a family,” she notes.
“I can completely identify with her anxiety. There’s nothing worse than not having a choice.”
She’s used to female characters who refuse to adapt to societal norms.
“I find it very interesting to portray women who do not want to be assigned to a place or trapped in their function. Look – the female body has always been a political issue. They used to belong to the society and the society wanted control over them. It’s a territory of power. If a woman decides she won’t submit her body to motherhood, it’s a mutiny!”
Jeanne, while troubled by her new role, isn’t the screaming kind. Instead, she suffers in silence.
“What’s happening to these kids is so tragic – no words can heal the pain. She chooses not to speak, rather than say something stupid,” explains Cottin.
“My mother, she has this expression I really like. She says: ‘You’re not going to paint the whole suburb in pink.’ But even though they’re only six and nine, and they’re very young children, Jeanne never minimizes their situation. This silence, her silence, brings a lot of gravity [to the scenes] and shows respect for what the kids are going through. Sometimes you might think she’s too cold, that she’s not protecting them, but she’s always honest. She’s lonely, silent, introverted and pragmatic, but they know they can rely on her.”
Cottin’s recent characters might be going through a lot – with her widowed protagonist in “The Land of Arto” shocked to discover her late husband’s past and many lies – but there’s one thing that’s recently made her happy.
“Pride [celebrations],” she says.
“I was just there, and it just filled my heart with joy. When I saw a photo of thousands of people in Budapest, marching even though it was forbidden, it also made me so happy. And then sad, because people are being threatened. But seeing this kind of resistance gives me hope.”