Maite+(Le+Divorce)

LE DIVORCE

This is the story of two American sisters, Isabel Walker and Roxeanne de Persand. Roxy is a poet, she lives in Paris and is married to a French man, Charles-Henri de Persand, who belongs to a family of the French aristocracy. The couple has one daughter and they're expecting their second child.

Isabel, the other sister decides to visit Roxi in Paris. When she arrives, she finds out that Charles-Henri has left his family, apparently because he has fallen in love with another woman.

Isabel is fascinated with life in Paris. She is very romantic and thinks the city has a lot of possibilities. Suddenly she falls in love with a French diplomat, Edgar, who proves to be the uncle of her sister's future ex-husband. He is married and almost twice as old as her. During this period she completely changes her appearance, so as to look more as a sophisticated French woman. She alters her haircut and colour, and even her way of dressing.

To show his affection, Edgar gives Isabel a very expensive Hermes bag, a red 'Kelly' model. But when his family sees it, during a family lunch in the country, it comes out that they are having a love affair, because he is known to give the same present to all his lovers.

In the meantime, Charles-Henri decides to divorce Roxi. During the divorce proceedings it comes out that Roxi has a painting at home, a family heirloom, which is supposed to cost millions of dollars. In the end they do divorce, but the painting luckily remains in the hands of her family.

Throughout the film the big difference between the two cultures, American and French, is reflected. The first one more simple and naïve in the way people behave and express their sentiments, and the second more snobbish and focused on keeping up appearances.