Diva

This is one of the very first movies I was ever motivated to buy. A stylish 1981 French art-house classic, "Diva" was considered a flop until it was "discovered" in Seattle, and after a notable run of almost a year, the distributor re-released it. That time it made its mark and won four Césars (French Academy Awards) in 1982. Now it has been released again so we can upgrade our cherished copies to a newly remastered DVD.

The bone of contention in this thriller is an audio cassette. Problem is, there are TWO of them, each is being sought for its content:

1. A bootlegged recording of an American diva, made by an enamored mail courier during a concert which featured an aria from "La Wally" as its centerpiece.
2. An exposé of the police department from a murdered prostitute who had hidden her tape in his messenger's bag on our young hero's parked mobilette.

We enjoy unforgettable characters:

• A moped-mounted messenger boy, played by Frédéric Andréi, who lives alone above an abandoned automotive garage complete with winches, an elevator shaft, mechanic's tools and assorted paraphernalia. He has no idea who is chasing him or why. All he knows is that he has a HUGE crush on that lovely opera star.
• An eccentric Diva (she has never allowed her voice to be recorded), played by American Wilhelmina Wiggins, who lives in a swanky hotel surrounded by attentive servants, luxurious clothes, delicious food and elegant furnishings.
• An enigmatic character who lives in a huge semi-empty ware- house with a Vietnamese refugee girl who uses roller skates to get around their "house."
• A pair of Taiwanese businessmen who want to duplicate the opera singer's tape and sell it worldwide (there are no copyright agree- ments between France and Taiwan).
• Two hired thugs who must find and destroy the police department exposé before corruption is uncovered at the highest levels.
  

During the course of this exciting film, we dash through the Parisian underground, race up narrow alleys, flee across parks, plunge into a pinball arcade (remember, this was made 30 years ago), and end up in a lighthouse.

You will hear a gorgeous award-winning soundtrack (Promenade Senti- mentale comes to mind), enjoy fleeting glimpses of well-known Parisian landmarks, admire an intricately clever script, and you will come to love both our darling messenger boy and the lovely opera singer.

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Please forgive the brief ad before the trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3517291289/
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