Depardieu

We were talking about the Count of Monte Cristo movie the other night at Richard's (his party; night the Spit ball joint came loose). I remembered how much we all -- the four of us, B, Nick, Julia, and I -- liked Depardieu's Cyrano. We rented the video back in 1990 or maybe '91. No way could Nick or Julia read the English subtitles to comprehend the dialogue, but they could and did comprehend the characterization, dramatic conflicts, and basics of the plot. More than that, they really liked the movie. This says something about the acting I think, as well as the power of the visual images, the costumes, the action, and so forth. Now I read that Depardieu's decided to stop making films.

Depardieu ends film career, paper says
PARIS (Reuters) - Actor Gerard Depardieu is ending his film career, a newspaper quoted the popular Frenchman as saying on Sunday.

"I have nothing to lose. I have made 170 films. I have nothing left to prove. I am not going to hang on like an idiot," Depardieu, one of France's best known actors at home and abroad, was quoted as saying by Le Parisien Dimanche newspaper.

"I'm in the process of stopping filming," said the portly star of films such as "Cyrano de Bergerac," "Green Card" and "Jean de Florette."

Depardieu, 56, made the comments on the set of the upcoming French film "Michou d'Auber." He would also star in an Asterix film to be made next year, the paper said.