Not on the Lips 2003
Directed by
Alain Resnais
Made by
France 2 Cinéma
Not on the Lips Plot Summary
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Gilberte Valandray [Sabine Azéma] is the socialite wife of a wealthy Parisian businessman, Georges Valandray [Pierre Arditi], and she has long kept a hidden past: a previous marriage in America that was never validated. Only her spinster sister Arlette [Isabelle Nanty] knows the secret, a quiet triangle of trust that Gilberte guards as part of her carefully curated social life. Secure in her husband’s confidence, Gilberte moves through a circle of admirers—flirtations that stay strictly on the surface. Among them are Faradel [Daniel Prévost], a middle‑aged dilettante, and Charley [Jalil Lespert], a young avant‑garde artist. Gilberte’s world becomes even more entangled when her young friend Huguette [Audrey Tautou] enters the mix, attracted to Charley in her own right. The delicate balance is disrupted when Georges unexpectedly invites an American visitor, Eric Thomson [Lambert Wilson], to dinner, a man who turns out to be Gilberte’s first husband in disguise. Embarrassed and cornered, Gilberte pleads with Eric to safeguard the secret she has kept for years.
Ten days later, a glittering soirée at the Valandrays’ house centers on Charley’s new play, “Âmes primitives,” a work imagined to unfold in Mexico. Eric weighs the idea of renewing his marital claim on Gilberte, while she tries to fend him off by hinting that Charley could be more than a mere acquaintance. Faradel offers practical help by giving Charley access to his bachelor flat, and Charley brings Huguette there—with Gilberte in tow. Meanwhile, Eric, who is poised to take over the lease on that very flat, hands the address to Georges, weaving further confusion into a web of loyalties and lies.
The following afternoon brings all the characters to Faradel’s bachelor flat, each arriving under a different pretext, and they are greeted by the sharp eyes of Madame Foin [Darry Cowl], the building’s concierge. As Georges believes he has finally unearthed Gilberte’s secret, Arlette steps forward to reclaim the truth—declaring that she is, in fact, Eric’s first wife and that the couple is reconciled. Eric clings to the lie with a surprising relish, a moment of personal triumph at being kissed on the lips he once thought forbidden. In the meantime Charley has fallen under Huguette’s spell, and, against the backdrop of revelations and reconciliations, Georges and Gilberte find themselves restored to a peaceful equilibrium, their marriage once again buoyed by the old, complicated thread of trust and deception that began it all.
Not on the Lips Timeline
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Gilberte's secret marriage guarded
Gilberte Valandray guards a prior but unvalidated American marriage, a secret she keeps from Georges. Only her sister Arlette knows the truth, and she remains discreet. Gilberte continues to host a circle of admirers who flirt with her, using the secret to control the social game.
Gilberte flirts with a circle of admirers
Secure in Georges's confidence, Gilberte cultivates a circle of lovers, including Faradel and Charley, turning flirtation into a social performance. She enjoys the attention and the power it gives her to maintain the secret. The dynamic foreshadows the tangled loyalties to come.
Eric Thomson invited to dinner
Georges invites American Eric Thomson to dinner to discuss a deal, unaware that Eric is Gilberte's first husband. Gilberte senses the danger but pleads with Eric to help guard the past. The secret teeters on exposure as the evening unfolds.
Georges's faith in the indissolubility of marriage
Georges remains secure in the belief that his marriage is formed by a lasting first experience, tolerating Gilberte’s flirtations as harmless. This trust makes him vulnerable should the past surface. The setup hinges on his quiet certainty about their bond.
Soirée and Charley’s Mexican play
Ten days later, a Paris soirée at the Valandrays’ house signals preparations for Charley’s new play, Âmes primitives, set in Mexico. Eric contemplates renewing his marital claim on Gilberte, while Gilberte hints that Charley is her lover to deter him. The social theater intensifies the web of double lives.
Faradel’s flat and the flat-share plan
Faradel offers his bachelor flat to Charley, who invites Huguette to join him—and Gilberte is drawn into the scheme. Meanwhile Eric, about to take over the same flat, gives Georges the address, setting up a shared space that will entangle everyone. The flat becomes the stage for disguise and misdirection.
Convergence at Faradel's flat
The following afternoon, all characters arrive at Faradel's flat under different pretexts, prompting the bemused concierge Madame Foin. Georges edges toward a revelation about his wife’s secret as the room fills with misaligned motives. The physical closeness sharpens the comedy of errors.
Arlette reveals she is Eric’s first wife
Just as Georges believes he has uncovered his wife's secret, Arlette declares that she herself is Eric’s first wife. She and Eric reconcile, with Eric choosing to support the lie rather than confess the truth. The reversal lets the others breathe, even as deception remains central.
Charley is seduced by Huguette
Meanwhile Charley has been happily seduced by Huguette, adding another layer to the tangled romantic web. The liaison contrasts with the strategic ruses that fuel the others’ actions. The lovers’ entanglements push the story toward its comic finale.
Eric upholds the lie to preserve balance
Eric reinforces the lie to preserve social balance, choosing convenience over truth in the moment. He overcomes his longstanding fear of being kissed on the lips, preferring the comfort of fiction. The group navigates their masquerade with a fragile, amused calm.
Georges and Gilberte find peaceful reconciliation
Georges seems to have reconciled his suspicions as the web of lies settles into a playful resolution. Gilberte and Georges renew their trust, accepting the social performance as part of their life together. The ensemble exits with a mood of comic harmony rather than moral clarity.
The play as a mirror of the tangled lives
Throughout the events, Charley’s Mexico-set play mirrors the characters’ disguises and performances, blurring art and life. The gathering ends as a satire of marriage, fidelity, and social theater. The audience is left with a playful reminder that appearances often govern happiness.
Not on the Lips Characters
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Eric Thomson (Lambert Wilson)
Eric is an American businessman whose calm exterior hides a shrewd awareness of the power of a returned lover. He reappears in Paris to test whether Gilberte’s claim of fidelity can withstand his own renewed claim. He enjoys the tension of the lie and uses it to regain footing in the relationship while observing the social dynamics around him.
Huguette Verberie (Audrey Tautou)
Huguette is Gilberte's young friend drawn into the circle's flirtations. She becomes entangled with Charley, navigating desire and social expectations with curiosity. Her involvement accelerates the romantic complications and tests loyalties within the group.
Arlette Poumaillac (Isabelle Nanty)
Arlette is Gilberte's spinster sister who quietly holds the secret of the past. She ultimately reveals that she could be Eric's first wife, catalyzing a reconciliation and revealing how truth and deception balance within the family. Her pragmatic nature helps steer the group toward a resolution.
Georges Valandray (Pierre Arditi)
Georges is a wealthy Parisian businessman who embodies traditional bourgeois values. He believes in the indissolubility of a union based on a first intimate experience and seeks to protect his marriage’s stability through social control. He orchestrates events to pull Eric back into the fold while maintaining appearances.
Gilberte Valandray (Sabine Azéma)
Gilberte is a socialite wife who cultivates a circle of flirtations to secure her status. She hides a previous marriage and uses others as cover, attempting to deter Eric by presenting Charley as a lover. Her public poise clashes with private anxiety, driving the narrative’s tension.
Charley (Jalil Lespert)
Charley is a young, avant-garde artist whose charm and ambition pull him into the center of the social web. He is both an object of Gilberte’s affection and a catalyst for the group’s scheming, including the flirtation with Huguette. His presence foregrounds the collision between art, desire, and deceit.
Faradel (Daniel Prévost)
Faradel is a middle-aged dilettante who moves easily through the social circle. He lends his bachelor flat to facilitate the various encounters, acting as a practical enabler of the plot’s entanglements. His perspective adds a wry humor to the unfolding drama.
Madame Foin (Darry Cowl)
Madame Foin is the concierge who witnesses the comic chaos from the margins. Her polite bemusement provides a grounded counterpoint to the salon intrigue. She represents the everyday perspective within the otherwise exclusive world of Parisian high society.
Not on the Lips Settings
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Location
Paris, France, Faradel's bachelor flat
The story unfolds against the backdrop of Parisian high society, centered on the Valandray household and its glamorous salons. The city’s refined interiors and ritzy dinners highlight the contrast between appearances and private tensions. Faradel's bachelor flat provides a neutral stage where secrets surface and misdirections collide.
Not on the Lips Themes
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Secrecy
Secrets about Gilberte's past marriage drive the central conflict, with Eric returning to test the bounds of their relationship. The circle of lovers uses lies to maintain social order and protect reputations. The plot repeatedly hinges on what characters keep hidden and what they choose to reveal.
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Appearances
The social circle treats flirtations and affairs as performances, where charm and etiquette mask underlying desire and insecurity. Charley, Huguette, and others play roles to achieve personal aims, while Georges guards the facade of stability. The play of deception exposes the fragility of social masks.
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Manipulation
Love is weaponized to influence decisions and secure status within the group. Gilberte leverages relationships to deter Eric, while Arlette and Eric manipulate the truth to reconcile or complicate matters. The reconciliation at the end suggests manipulation can be tempered by affection, though not without cost.
Not on the Lips Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the glittering autumn of 1925, Paris swirls with a musical, farcical energy that turns every salon into a stage. The city’s elegant boulevards and opulent apartments pulse with whispered flirtations, fashionable gossip, and the ever‑present hum of ambition. Against this backdrop, a tightly knit circle of friends and lovers maneuver through a world where appearances are as carefully curated as the couture on their backs.
Gilberte Valandray is the radiant wife of a wealthy businessman, a socialite whose charm masks a hidden past. Though devoted to her husband, she craves the lingering affection of countless admirers, navigating the fine line between devotion and desire. Beside her stands Georges Valandray, a confident entrepreneur whose own confidence rests on the trust he places in his wife. The pair share a delicate equilibrium, their marriage a quiet performance that belies the undercurrents of longing and secrecy. Arlette, Gilberte’s spinster sister, knows the truth of a forgotten American union, serving as both confidante and keeper of the family’s most intimate secret.
When an unexpected guest arrives—a charismatic American named Eric Thomson—the carefully balanced tableau gains an extra brushstroke of intrigue. He is the ghost of Gilberte’s former marriage, a man whose presence threatens to unmask the past she has long guarded. Meanwhile, a youthful avant‑garde artist, Charley, adds a splash of modernity and reckless enthusiasm, while Huguette, a bright-eyed friend, brings fresh romantic energy that ripples through the group. The ever‑practical Faradel offers his bachelor flat as a neutral ground, and the building’s observant concierge, Madame Foin, watches the tangled interactions with sharp, knowing eyes.
The film revels in a tone that is both witty and wistful, a lively dance of words and glances that keeps the audience guessing which secret will surface next. It captures the intoxicating blend of love, art, and social maneuvering that defines a Parisian summer of 1925, inviting viewers to linger in the delightful uncertainty of a world where every smile may conceal a story waiting to be told.
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