By Cyriaque Griffon
Bye Anouk Aymée aka “Lola”…
World famous icon and French movie star, Anouk Aimée, who was a critically acclaimed actress appearing in several European films made by the most influential directors, has died in Paris aged 92. She appeared in dozens of films, making her screen debut in the mid-40s, leading to a career that would encompass seven decades.
From “La Dolce Vita”…
Her breakthrough movie was Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, one of the most acclaimed movies in Italian cinematic history starring Mastroianni and including the memorable Trevi fountain scene involving the seductive Swedish bombshell Anita Ekberg. Aimée’s acting career made her then land a role in classic French film “A Man and a woman” for which she won a Golden Globe and a Bafta award for best actress and for which she was also nominated for an Oscar. That year, she lost out to Elizabeth Taylor for her performance in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The movie won many awards including the Palme d’Or at the 1966 Cannes film festival. The film is also best remembered for its many many segues alternating color, black and white and sepia toned shots. Last but not least, there is still the memorable musical score. That should refresh memories about a climactic scene at a railway station, not to mention another clip showing a man and a woman embracing each other on a winter beach in Deauville. Just listen to this catchy intoxicating tune and very soon you can’t help humming… “Chabada bada chabada bada”
… to la dolce “Lola”
Anouk Aimée is also best remembered for her performance in the role of a cabaret dancer in the 1961 classic French movie “Lola”. Both names of the film and title character were inspired by the 1930 film “The Blue Angel” starring Marlene Dietrich who had played a music-hall burlesque performer named Lola. This is all the more emotional to Nantes people since “Lola” ’s decor was set in emblematic places of Nantes city. Since then, it’s as if the elegant Lola (Anouk Aimée) has been haunting these places a little. Last, six decades after the movie, Anouk Aimée was invited next to Nantes, in the nearby town of Basse-Indre. They wanted once again to pay tribute to her for the part she played in a local cinematic history. The little ferry that crosses the Loire River every 5 minutes was named after her. She came for the launch of the boat the “Lola”. I live there. Every morning, when I go on board the Lola to cross the river, I can see her image displayed on a wall of the ferry. Tomorrow morning, when I cross the river on the “Lola”, I will probably feel a very special emotion when seeing there her picture. Bye Lola Anouk. Or shall we say « Bye LolAnouk »…
