This is the type of film that makes you question your past admiration for a particular director before you stop and remind yourself that there are very few people whose body of work doesn't contain a few clunkers.The casting in Lelouch's films is of utmost importance because he puts the viewer into such intimacy with the characters. The actors have to bring real screen magic to live up to the intensity. Otherwise it is just hollow. None of the actors in this film had any of that screen magic, in my opinion.Jeremy Irons and Patricia Kaas fell far short as the leads. Irons is a talented actor but he was wrong for this part. Lovable rogue didn't suit his strengths. His brand of charm also hit a false note for me here. Iron's persona is too decadence-tinged to fit into a Lelouch love story.Although I would hesitate to pass up any opportunity to hear an English accent, I also think an American actor would have worked better in this role. So many of the songs that Kaas sings are so closely identified with the Americanness of the particular lyricist that it seemed kind of discordant to then have Jeremy Irons playing the love interest -- even though logically it really didn't matter. It still screwed up the flow of the movie somehow. At least for me.Of course, it would have had to have been the right American. I think George Clooney would have been great in the part. And he would have brought the screen magic in spades. Brad Pitt could also have done a really good job delivering his particular combination of charming and edgy.I was also very disappointed with Patricia Kaas. In reading about her, I've learned that she has a hugely successful career as a singer and many fans, so what do I know, but I found her screen presence as a singer very boring. She was actually a much better actress in her speaking scenes than she was a singer in those scenes in which she had to interpret and sell a song. Nothing she sang moved me. She was pleasant but bland.In contrast, someone like Kate Hudson, who is not a professional singer and has only voice-coach French still would have handled this part a million times better. Not to mention all that stunning French talent out there that could have been tapped into. It was wrenching watching Patricia Kaas take up screen space when there are so many charismatic French actresses who could have been cast instead. The music was so important in this film, it could not really work without the music working. And since Kaas delivered so poorly in this respect, the movie never really had a chance.Lelouch sealed the fate of this movie when he cast Patricia Kaas. JMO.

The smart and bold thief of jewelries Valentin Valentin (Jeremy Irons) decides to leave his mate and travel around the world for one hundred days in a sailing boat. In the coast of Morocco, he has an amnesia problem and comes onshore looking for a doctor. Meanwhile, the piano-bar singer Jane Lester (Patricia Kaas) is brokenhearted when her lover leaves her to stay with her beast friend and decides to accept a job in Morocco to forget the past. An incident in the hotel where they are lodged joins them and they fell attracted for each other."And Now…Ladies and Gentlemen…" is a delightful romance, with many attractions: the story is very charming; the cinematography is beautiful; the chemistry between the elegant Jeremy Irons and the lovely Patricia Kaas is stunning; and the voice of the gorgeous Patricia Kaas is awesome. This singer is completely unknown in Brazil, and I was surprised and touched hearing such beautiful interpretation of wonderful songs. Patricia Kaas herself alone makes this movie very worthwhile. It is difficult to assimilate Claudia Cardinale old, but she has a great performance in the role of an unfaithful countess. Claude Lelouch is amazing as usual, making a perfect combination of an attractive story with the magnificent interpretation of this wonderful Patricia Kaas. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Amantes & Infiéis" ("Lovers & Unfaithful")

I didn't hate this movie as much as some on my all time black list, but I consider it a total wast of film. Jeremy Irons, Iron Jeremy, Ron Jeremy. Think about it. Scene one is very good, all the rest are crap.

What a pleasure to see another work from one of the world'sgreatest directors, Claude Lelouche. "And Now Ladies andGentlemen" doesn't disappoint, although it's clearly not in theleague of Lelouche's masterpieces "A Man and a Woman" and --my favorite film ever -- "And Now My Love" ("Tout un Vie"). There areall the requisite Lelouche themes here: romance, destiny, faithand redemption, combined with superb performances by JeremyIrons and Patricia Kaas, exotic locales and that wonderful MichelLegrand music. (Also great to see performers like ClaudiaCardinale and Paul Freeman again!) Nobody else makes filmslike Lelouche, and that's both a pity and a reminder of what atreasure he is.