I find you very handsome on France 3: “Isabelle Mergault offered me a role that was usually offered to Jugnot”

This lovely film directed by Michel Blanc received the César for best first film in 2007.

A few days after the disappearance of Isabelle Mergault, France 3 is rebroadcasting her first feature film as director this Monday evening, I find you very beautifulwhich will be available the next day in streaming on France.TV.

Already known as an actress, columnist and screenwriter (she had notably written Most promising female for Gérard Jugnot in 2000), Mergault launched into directing in 2006, approaching fifty, with this romantic comedy. We follow Aymé, a grumpy farmer who signs up with a marriage agency following the death of his wife. He leaves for Romania and brings back a young woman to his farm, Elena (Medeea Marinescu). After some tumult, this meeting will end up opening his heart.

When Isabelle Mergault offered the role to Michel Blanc, the latter had been focused for ten years on his own trajectory as a filmmaker (Bad Pass And Kiss whoever you want). In 2019, the actor who died in 2024 confided to First what convinced him to say yes:

“The same public phenomenon happened with this film as with In the Name of the Earth. I didn’t imagine for a moment that we would end up with 3 million admissions when I read the script. I wanted this film because Isabelle offered me a role that was usually offered to Jugnot! Much more sentimental than I was used to. I was a little afraid of breaking my nose in it, but I accepted to broaden my palette of It was during the promotional tour in the provinces that we felt that something was happening! I even received the Order of Agricultural Merit. At first, I declined because I found it indecent towards the farmers until it was explained to me that it was they who had insisted on thanking us for showing their loneliness, their financial and emotional difficulties in the cinema.

In addition to its popular success, I find you very beautiful earned Michel Blanc a nomination for the César for best actor, and the César for best first film for Isabelle Mergault. But the director is absent during the ceremony, and it is Blanc who goes on stage to receive her prize. After explaining that she cannot be present because of a toothache, he reads the speech written by Mergault.

Ten years later, on the show Tea or coffeeshe will reveal that this pretext was bogus:

“I said my teeth hurt, but now I can say it. In fact, I was afraid of my emotions. I’m always afraid of myself, I never know how I’m going to react. It would be horrible for me to cry in public. I would have been capable of crying in public, or not finding the words. I’m quite emotional.”

After this successful attempt, Isabelle Mergault will direct three other feature films for the cinema and will write several plays including Aymé’s reason, with Gérard Jugnot.

The trailer for I find you very beautiful :