Anne-Marie the beauty

Anne-Marie Mille, an aging actress, reflects on her life. She recounts a dreary youth in the French countryside, her childlike admiration for the actors from her hometown, and the joy of being engaged as an actress at a suburban theater in Paris: "On stage, I was sometimes Anne-Marie the beauty." Here she was happy, but great success eluded her. She envies her deceased friend and colleague Gigi, who always landed the bigger roles, entertained famous lovers, and even made it to film. Meanwhile, Anne-Marie is bored with her husband, and their son is getting on her nerves. Yet, Anne-Marie has outlived Gigi and most of her companions. Now she reflects on the encounters throughout her life and reevaluates them.

Yasmina Reza paints a wistful and quirky portrait of an aging woman with her monologue, specifically written for an actor. It is a look back at a life between stage and reality, wishful thinking and reality, illusion and depression.