In 1852, French writer Gustave Flaubert published his debut novel Madame Bovary, a romantic drama whose lust-filled archetypal narrative went on to inspire hundreds of writers and saw it becoming one of the most iconic examples of classic literature. The story focused on Emma Bovary, a doctor’s wife who escapes the banalities of her provincial lifestyle by entering into a string of contentious and adulterous affairs.
A range of cinematic adaptations followed over the years, though none have been as audacious as Anne Fontaine’s adaptation of British cartoonist Posy Simmonds’ graphic novel, Gemma Bovery (2014), which reinterprets Flaubert’s story for a more contemporary timeframe.
Gemma Arterton stars as the titular Gemma, a sensuous British beauty who moves with her husband Charles (Flemyng) to an idyllic village in the north of France. Whilst acclimatising to their new surroundings, Gemma bewitches the neighbourhood baker Martin (Fontaine regular Frabrice Luchini) – who responds with a budding infatuation – and enters into an affair with a young playboy, as well as her seductive ex-lover. Can the weary and adulterous Gemma avoid the tragedy of her literary namesake?
Having already starred in an adaptation of Posy Simmonds work with Stephen Frears’ 2010 comedy Tamara Drewe, Arterton found that she was initially hesitant about playing a character who shares distinct, illicit similarities with Gemma, someone who, as Martin describes, “Wants everything from love and is always disappointed.”
“I was quite nervous about doing it at first, but after I went back and read the novel I found them to be very different, and I actually identified and sympathised more with the character of Gemma than I did Tamara,” says Arterton, who was immediately attracted to the idea of working with, until that point, her first female director, Fontaine. This was before she lost her head, literally, in Marjane Satrapi’s darkly comedic The Voices (2014).
Having made such films as The Girl from Monaco (2008) and fashion biopic Coco Before Chanel (2009), Fontaine was perhaps the perfect choice to transport Simmonds’ illustrated panels to the vivid, sun-dappled life. She co-wrote the screenplay with Pascal Bonitzer and Simmonds herself, and found herself intrigued and touched by the comedic possibilities of such a twisted female protagonist leading the story – a rarity in modern cinema.
When asked about how she approached the character with the possibility of doing something different to her portrayal of Tamara five years ago, Arterton found that, unlike public perceptions, there is a clear disparity between the two. “I find Tamara to be less likable than Gemma; she is so middle class and I just couldn’t quite identify with that particular world,” she says. “Stephen and Anne are completely different filmmakers in terms of style, so once I had gotten over the fact it was Simmonds’ work again I managed to approach it in a totally different way.”
It’s much more satisfying when you’re brave and when you’re doing something that frightens you
For Flemyng, known predominantly for his work with Guy Ritchie in an abundance of British gangster films, the fact that he and Arterton were similar to Charlie and Gemma in that they were Brits living and working in France was a major selling point for the film.
“A lot of my choices about what I do are purely geographical. That’s the truth, because filmmaking, to me, is not an exact science. You’re giving a part of your life for fiscal reimbursement, so that cant be just what it’s about because ultimately and often it’s a disappointment,” says Flemyng, who found that working on location was everything he expected and wanted it to be.
Although she has previously been a Bond girl and starred in a number of big-budget Hollywood blockbusters like Clash of the Titans (2010), Arterton found that pre-production for Gemma Bovary was the longest she spent preparing for a role, mainly because the part called for her to be somewhat fluent in French, a language she had never spoken before. She chucked herself into it completely, moving to Brittany to perfect the language whilst staying with a French family before living in Paris throughout the summer before cameras began rolling. The results are startlingly believable considering Arterton was once known for her brazenly cockney twang.
“Learning French was pretty intense, but I don’t think I was scared by it. I knew I’d get there and that I could make mistakes because Gemma too is learning the language herself, so I was allowed to have little problems with the pronunciation.” Fontaine was so enamoured with her lead star’s commitment that she kept a fluffed take – where Arterton says, “Would you like a glass of tea?” in semi-perfect French – because she found it so charming.
Not only has starring in the film allowed Arterton to add a new language to her résumé, it’s also, like the great Kristen Scott Thomas before her, allowed her branch out into a whole new area of foreign filmmaking, as she is currently shooting a French drama that has placed her entirely out of her comfort zone. “It’s nice for me because I’m seen differently [in France] because they don’t know me there. It’s like I can do something completely distinctive, and take on roles that I’m just not offered here in the UK,” she says. “The ability to learn new skills is one of the best things about the job that we do. You never know what you’re going to have to do next; I may be speaking another language in ten years. You have to keep yourself open and push yourself.”
Flemyng, who can similarly now boast a foreign-speaking role, agrees with his co-star, believing that, in their industry, bravery is the ultimate key to success. “It’s much more satisfying when you’re brave and when you’re doing something that frightens you. That’s the goal for me, and that’s when you know you’re alive and have all the opportunities coming your way.”
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