Fabrice Luchini plays Martin Joubert, a publisher turned baker in Normandy-set Gemma Bovery, a guest at a party. While the guests are talking about cheese (best topic ever), Martin keeps looking at the titular character Gemma. Gemma Arterton plays said titular character, one half of a seemingly perfect British couple who move in next door. Comprising the other half is Charlie (Jason Flemying), who has the idea of buying their cottage. Mrs. Bovery becomes an obsession for Martin, especially as Gemma starts doing things that Flaubert’s Madame Bovary did. He interferes in her life, thinking he’s helping, but will he make things better or worse for her?

Martin’s perspective is front and centre in Gemma Bovery, but sometimes, viewers can see Gemma’s point of view. This re-imagination of Flaubert’s novel gives Gemma things to do, making her a part time interior decorator. Anne Fontaine’s film divides itself into those two intertwined perspectives, the Gemma scenes having enough close-ups for Arterton. She’s the reason, after all, that this film has a budget, and she shows her character’s interiority. There’s also the ‘I felt that in my bones’ vibe here when she calls out her husband’s lazy tendencies. That vibe gets more bland as Gemma has an affair with young Herve de Bressigny (Nils Schneider).

When one examines or summarizes what this film is trying to do, it ‘subverting’ Martin’s condescending male gaze. However, the lesson of ‘women are people instead of tragic figures for consumption’ isn’t enough for me and most. Half of Fontaine’s filmography toe the line of populism with class, which sometimes passes (The Innocents). File Gemma Bovary, though, under her movies that feel like Boomer French dramedies with sex. I’m no prude, but what’s the point of showing Gemma have sex and then chastising her for having sex?

Arterton is aces here in Gemma Bovery, and contemporaneous criticism praised Luchini’s performance here. I wish I could join in on the praise – I can understand the appeal of a character who doesn’t mind his business. Cinema is full of characters like Martin, witnesses to other people’s misery, wanting to be active participants. Maybe it’s Luchni’s performance but I’ll blame Fontaine’s writing as to why Martin isn’t subjectively appealing. Him wanting to break up Gemma’s affairs out of a sense of fake morality isn’t good enough of a selling point.

Every conversation in Gemma Bovery is worse than the one prior to it, especially the ones between couples. The same goes for the ones between Gemma and Martin, where Martin tries to be the film’s moral compass. “Whatever happens to Madame Bovary happens to you,” Martin warns, trying to be benevolent towards her. But the other characters and the viewers know that he does all of this because he wants her. And he’s wrong about Emma and Gemma having the same fate because spoiler alert, Gemma’s fate is dumber.

Gemma Bovery is available to stream on OVID.