7
Having read Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert as an undergraduate is certainly a big bonus for this present Gemma Bovery. One must keep in mind that Madame Bovary is the quintessential supreme French novel of the 19th Century and perhaps of any French literary period. The story is well known, inside and out and it caused a scandal in its day with its then themes of female liberation. The light film becomes a comedic version of the Bovary story, beautifully smart and witty as its great source material. Enjoy the film as it is a smart one, but don't go expecting ludicrous action and ridiculous situations "à l'Américaine."