I see, via Althouse, that Marion Cotillard's agent wants us all to know how very upset Ms. Cotillard is that umbrage has been taken at certain of her remarks, and that if the umbrage doesn't cease, she's going to take her film career and go home, or something, so there. "She hopes that the Americans will have enough distance to understand," sniffed Bastien Duval, who really should have used an interpreter, to the U.K. Times. "The" Americans? Statistically speaking, the number of Americans who even know who Cotillard is probably only comes out to a decimal point, so I don't know what he's on about with "the Americans." Unless "have enough distance" in fact encompasses the concept "have zero idea who my client is."
Photo: Mark Petit/AMPAS
Speaking of statistics, I suppose it was inevitable that at least one of this year's Oscar winners turned out to be a bit of a dippy 9/11 truther; I'm not sure what it means when that one turns out to be a bubbly, attractive French woman. For, indeed, the Cotillardian observations that have caused many to take umbrage were, indeed, about 9/11. About a year ago Cotillard appeared on French television and expounded on her sympathy for conspiracy theories, evoking the death of a French comic in 1986 before launching into her surmise concerning the collapse of the World Trade Center towers in 2001: "The towers of September 11 were stuffed with gold. And they were swallowing up cash because they were built, I gather, in 1973. And to re-cable all that, to modernise the technology and all of that, it was much more expensive to carry out the work than to destroy them."
You have to love that "I gather" ('il me semble" in the original French).
Wow. You know, I've lived in the New York/New Jersey vicinity my entire life, and I've seen the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (which was/is the administrative body of the World Trade Center) do a lot of eccentric/boneheaded things, but I can't say that the destroy-rather-than-re-cable notion has much traction. To it, I counter with a theory of my own: Somebody started a "How Fricking Dumb Is Marion Cotillard?" betting pool, and whoever put their money on "Dumb Enough To Think That 9/11 Was The Result Of A Conspiracy Out Of The Original Version Of The Producers" won it, big time.
"She doesn't have to apologize for a badly presented and badly interpreted reportage," Duval fumed to the Times. Sez you. I imagine that some corporate publicity types, representing the likes of Tribeca Films, Misher Films, Forward Pass Productions and/or Universal, said entities all having substantial stakes in Public Enemies, the Michael-Mann-directed film currently shooting in Chicago with Cotillard playing against Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, are coordinating just such a thing with Cotillard and Duval and whoever else even as we speak.
UPDATE: A variant of a 9/11-truther—someone who believes Cotillard should be commended because she doesn't buy everything she reads in the papers (as opposed to buying what, exactly?) comments below, and I get all emotional in responding. Yes, the subject hits a bit of a nerve with me. Let me clarify my position via the words of the much-less-prone-to-emotional-outburst Matt Taibbi, in Rolling Stone a couple years back:
I have no doubt that every time one of those Loose Change dickwads opens his mouth, a Republican somewhere picks up five votes. In fact, if there were any conspiracy here, I'd be far more inclined to believe that this whole movement was cooked up by Karl Rove as a kind of mass cyber-provocation, along the lines of Gordon Liddy hiring hippie peace protesters to piss in the lobbies of hotels where campaign reporters were staying.Secondly, it's bad enough that people in this country think Tim LaHaye is a prophet and Sean Hannity is an objective newsman. But if large numbers of people in this country can swallow 9/11 conspiracy theory without puking, all hope is lost. Our best hope is that the Japanese take pity on us and allow us to serve as industrial slaves in their future empire, farming sushi rice and assembling robot toys.
"Aw, crap. Look at all this stuff we're going to have to re-cable in order to modernize! This is going to be a bear."
"Well, we could just blow up the buildings. Technically, we'd be murdering a couple thousand people, but we could blame it on terrorists."
"Hey, that's not bad. Call Bush, see what he thinks about it."
This sort of thing is disgusting. As far as I'm concerned, a flat, humble apology might not even be enough, but it would be better than the shit Cotillard and her people are currently peddling.
And David Lynch is a fan of "Loose Change". Learning that really hurt.
Posted by: bill | March 05, 2008 at 01:08 PM
I like to plug my ears and just contemplate the fish-like scales on her dress. La la la, is she meant to be a mermaid, la la la, I feel like ordering sashimi....
Posted by: oakling | March 05, 2008 at 02:08 PM
I think that if you could believe one single thing that comes out of the mouths of the people in the Bush administration these conspiracy theories would sound a lot more far-fetched. Also, I think her point was that watching those documentaries about 9/11 can't help but make you wonder about the truth (quite possibly because they're made to convince you there's a conspiracy). There are still a lot of unanswered questions about that day and that's the reason these conspiracy theories exist in the first place, and it's not fair calling someone an idiot just because they say they don't believe everything that's written in the newspapers as the official truth. Actually, one could argue that makes you smart. When the U.S. invaded Iraq, people who said Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11 were treated the same exact way, as complete idiots. And how did that turn out? Same thing about the WMDs. Since Bush and co. have constantly lied about everything for the last seven years, is it any wonder people have doubts about 9/11 as well?
Glenn, have you ever met Cotillard? If you haven't, please don't call her an idiot just because she finds conspiracy theories fascinating, it makes you sound like one of those freedom fry -eaters.
Posted by: tk2048 | March 05, 2008 at 03:08 PM
When referring to "Americans" as a group in French, wouldn't you always say "les Américains"? Bastien probably thinks in French even when he speaks in English.
As for Marion's 9/11 remarks, It seems to me that what's quoted here is a suggested motive rather than a theory about how and why it happened. (It's a ridiculous motive, and probably economically false by about half a billion dollars, but nonetheless). Making a plausible-but-kind-of-insane suggestion about motives doesn't necessarily assert your suggestion as correct. If she went on to make a specific claim rather than opening a question of motives, I'd be more concerned.
Like, tk2048, I don't think it's crazy to ask 'crazy' questions, to try them out as theories, to question the orthodoxy - especially given the truth-value offered by the government that gave us the official story. Cotillard's comments (which I've only read out of context and in English) are less sophisticated at raising these questions than, say, Oliver Stone's JFK, which is about the epistemological problems of conspiracy, but that's not to say she's to be vilified for raising the question.
As for Lynch and Loose Change, one of the things that makes him a great filmmaker is that he thinks totally crazy things are going down where everyone else sees normality. Take the good with the bad, as they say.
Posted by: Dave | March 05, 2008 at 03:22 PM
I've never met Cotillard, no. And I happen to despise the Bush/Cheney administration. (Sorry, Bill.) Here's how it works: if you say that it's likely that some unnamed "they" destroyed two masssive structures and sent several thousand persons to their deaths because it saved them money on rewiring, then yes, you are an unequivocal idiot, moron, and, not entirely coincidentally, asshole. It has nothing to do with believing everything that's in the papers.
My aunt walked out on the Brooklyn promenade the morning of 9/11, after the first plane had hit. She saw the second plane plowing into the second tower. She didn't read about it in the paper. And neither did dozens of my friends...including one of my best friends, who lived on Pearl Street near the seaport at the time. They've all got some stories. Tell me again all about how "smart" Marion Cotillard is, tk2048. Go on.
Posted by: Glenn Kenny | March 05, 2008 at 03:24 PM
tk2048, I've also been a little uncomfortable with the way people are seizing on these remarks of Cotillard's, but I would find it a lot easier to defend her if she'd just simply said that she doubted the official story, rather than citing this *particular*, and particularly preposterous, theory.
Posted by: Claire K. | March 05, 2008 at 03:51 PM
Well, I never said anything about her necessarily being "smart," I wouldn't know since I don't know her, just her work. Neither do I personally believe that "they" destroyed the towers because of money. My point was simply that since we've never heard, for instance, why some firefighters and policemen ran out of the building saying there were bombs in the basement, it gives fuel to all these theories and is the biggest reason they even exist. Again, I don't think it was an inside job, and I'm not belittling the obvious tragedy, but I don't think she was either. Having an open discussion about 9/11 and raising questions about it is not, at least in my opinion, disrespectful to the people who were personally affected by the tragedy. No one, not even Cotillard, is denying that 9/11 happened and killed thousands of people. But the craziest thing about this whole thing is how everybody criticizing her makes a point of emphasizing her being French. She does not embody France, and neither does President Bush or any other single American embody the United States.
Posted by: tk2048 | March 05, 2008 at 03:54 PM
No need to apologize, Glenn. I appreciate the thought, though (and they're not always my favorite people, either).
Posted by: bill | March 05, 2008 at 04:06 PM
I'm assuming that it's me Glenn is refering to as "a 9/11 truther," so I feel I need to say I've only heard about this "Loose Change" from some David Lynch interview, I've never seen it. Saw a few minutes from some other doc about it which made me wonder. And by wonder, I mean "Geez, why hasn't the government just explained all that stuff and put all these theories to bed?"
Posted by: tk2048 | March 05, 2008 at 04:09 PM
Sorry if I mischaracterized you, tk, in calling you a "variant of a 9/11 truther."
I believe there have been several government agency responses to the 9/11 conspiracy theories, but if you want to get into the literature of debunking the putative truthers, a good place to start is "Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts" by the editors of Popular Mechanics and David Dunbar and Brad Reagan. This exhaustive tome—which, naturally, has been attacked by 9/11 conspiracy theorists—was in part the brainchild of Popular Mechanics editor-in-chief Jim Meigs. Jim was once the editor in chief at Premiere—I was his hire, and we've worked together on and off for over 20 years. We don't agree on politics much, but I can tell you he's in the tank for nobody, and as aggressive about investigative journalism as anyone you'd care to name.
Posted by: Glenn Kenny | March 05, 2008 at 04:17 PM
no offence taken glenn. Thanks for the tip, now we need to pass that book info to Cotillard as well.
But still, the way those conspiracy theorists (which I'm not!!!!!) sell their argument, I can't blame Cotillard for believing some of it. In that now notorious interview she also commented on some other conspiracy theories, so obviously the girl likes them. It wasn't just about 9/11. Based on other interviews of her I've seen and read, it's impossible for me think she's this horrible anti-American some people are now making her out to be. Let's give the girl a break.
Posted by: tk2048 | March 05, 2008 at 04:34 PM
I understand your point, tk, and I wondered about it before I wrote the post. I think it's obvious by now that it was coming from a part of me that's deeply offended by such pronouncements. I believe that I, and many others, have a right to be offended by them. That said, I don't think Cotillard's an anti-American ogre—just grievously ill-informed and prone to shooting from the hip, and pretending that makes her some paradigm of independent-mindedness. And I'm offended that, via her agent, she's waving the flag of her hurt feelings rather than doing the right thing, which might just be to say, "You know, I was kind of talking out of my ass with that 9/11 stuff. Sorry."
Posted by: Glenn Kenny | March 05, 2008 at 04:48 PM
yes, the statement from Bastien Duval could've been a lot better, and I wouldn't stop Cotillard from issuing an apology, but when TMZ.com runs the story under the headline "Marion Cotillard - why we hate the French," you just know this thing has blown completely out of proportion. It was an off-handed comment by someone who wasn't an expert on the subject, which just happened to be, and understandably so, a very sensitive issue for a lot of people. And oddly enough, the whole thing started by some French tabloid wanting to dig up dirt on their own citizen who just happened to be a recent Oscar winner.
Posted by: tk2048 | March 05, 2008 at 05:05 PM
Cotillard's own statement: "On February 16, 2007, I appeared on a late night French television program,'Paris Dernière.' In the last 48 hours, my statements on that program have been taken completely out of context and been crafted into a story that has no merit. The conversation on the talk show included a dialogue about conspiracy theories. At no point did I intend to contest the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, one of the most tragic days in all of history. Nonetheless, I sincerely regret if my comments offended or hurt anyone."
Posted by: tk2048 | March 05, 2008 at 05:47 PM
That's both too nuanced and too defensive to placate the TMZers, which is why I think there will be something a little more "mea maxima culpa" coming soon. Her agent notwithstanding, she's shooting One American Movie now and has another on deck, so it's in her best interest to somehow stop the howls from Levin's wolf pack.
Posted by: Glenn Kenny | March 05, 2008 at 06:27 PM
I hate to say it, and I don't agree with Cotillard's musings...but I definitely, 100% believe that our government had *something* to do with the 9/11 attacks. Be it knowing and looking the other way all the way to actually having a hand in them, I'm sorry and you can all laugh and point...but there's way too much fishy shit involved with the whole thing to just accept what we've been told.
Part of me feeling that way has to do with seeing what this administration has been able to do under the guise of "protecting" us after the attack. Part of it has to do with the fact that anything and everything this administration has anything to do with should be looked at and questioned and part of it, like tk alluded to, is the fact no one has explained certain things like...what happened to building 7 for instance.
But the bottom line is, this administration was awarded carte blanche to shit on the constitution post 9/11 and there's no doubt in my mind they've made duckets of money off of that and the Iraq war. I'm not saying that any one persons conspiracy is right or true, but like Fox Mulder, I trust no one.
Posted by: don lewis | March 05, 2008 at 09:00 PM
Three points to make:
1. I continue to be astounded by the people who think September 11 (I hate the '9/11' buzzword) was a conspiracy just because other burning buildings did not collapse. Well, those other burning buildings didn't have two huge aeroplanes fly into them!
2. I loved Loose Change and believed every word of it because it's an entertaining and very effectively made documentary ... until it was over, by which time I smiled and said "what a load of old shit!" and forgot all about it.
3. There's no reason to believe that anyone other than terrorists committed the attacks, but what happened immediately AFTER the attacks and beyond is anybody's guess. I don't trust the government as far as I can throw them, and I shouldn't be throwing anybody with my bad knee.
Posted by: Owain Wilson | March 06, 2008 at 05:58 AM
Owain...
Building 7 DID collapse...thats the kinda, you know, weird thing.
Posted by: don lewis | March 07, 2008 at 03:17 AM
Don ...
true enough, but like I said, the terrorists did what they did, but AFTER that ... well, I'm happy to believe that the authorities would and DID do all sorts of crazy crap.
Posted by: Owain Wilson | March 07, 2008 at 04:54 AM
pity all this didn't break before the oscar votes were in, then Julie Christie would've won the award she deserved. Julie, you're the best, and can thumb your nose at those pesky French.....
Posted by: brian | March 07, 2008 at 10:41 AM
"well, I'm happy to believe that the authorities would and DID do all sorts of crazy crap"
The use of the word "happy" in that comment is, I think, extremely telling.
Posted by: bill | March 07, 2008 at 02:34 PM
There's something almost reassuring in the thought of believing these sort of conspiracy theories, as if disapproving of your own government somehow makes the world an easier place to handle, that they're the bad ones and that's it. Problem solved. Alas, it's not the case, as anyone sober in the head can see, methinks. Granted, I too trust the government about as far as I can throw them - a quality I think necessary to an effective democracy, but also a feeling that has, unfortunately, been reinforced by years of B.S. (I know former hard-core right wingers who now happily sport donkey ears). I despise this administration as much as the next anarchic democrat-with-a-small-D, but these wild theories are just poorly channeled energy, and a disgrace to the instances were a conspiracy could be called legitimate. Smoke 'em out for mishandling the health-hazard ridden aftermath, the invasion of Iraq, and virtually everything else to go down in the past 7 years. Let's look at what happened and why so that it never happens again. But let's take out responsibility for our own government with some perspective too, please.
Posted by: rob | March 08, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Bill, 'happy' is just a word. Replace it with 'can' if you like.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I don't look for conspiracies and then try to believe them. I just think Bush and his pals are a right shifty bunch. What's new?
Posted by: Owain Wilson | March 10, 2008 at 07:00 AM
Stephen King hit the nail on the head with conspiracy theories: it's ultimately more comforting for people to believe in them because it means somebody, goddamnit, is running things and nothing random really happens. People just don't want to live in a world where a psychotic can change everything in the space of a few minutes.
Posted by: Dan | April 21, 2008 at 01:44 PM