Let’s say that a couple named Tom and Daisy Buchanan move in next door. Do you assume that their life will unfold just like the identically named characters in “The Great Gatsby”? Are you certain that their marriage is headed for trouble, because there’s a millionaire who lives down the street named Ray Matsby?
No? Well, then, you’re more practical than the narrator of “Gemma Bovery.” The French baker Martin Joubert (Fabrice Luchini) is shocked and amused to find that the young British couple who recently moved in across the street are Charlie and Gemma Bovery — names too similar to the characters in his favorite novel, “Madame Bovary,” to be anything but a sign.
The movie winks and nudges its way through a lighter, modernized variation of the classic, proud of its own cleverness every time Gemma’s life mirrors Madame B’s. But imitation for the sake of itself isn’t brilliant, especially when the elements most worthy of copying — Flaubert’s precise narration and telling details — don’t make the cut.
Gemma Arterton plays the title character, an empty vessel beyond her beauty and voluptuousness, which director Anne Fontaine spends ample time examining. Gemma floats around in a cloud of wavy red hair like Botticelli’s Venus with slightly more clothing. Her daily routine is buying fresh bread from Martin, practicing her French and walking her dog. Otherwise, she complains to her nice-guy husband (Jason Flemyng) about the decaying state of their dilapidated house.
Her life isn’t terribly eventful to watch, so we can hardly blame her when she goes looking for excitement. She finds some with young law student Hervé (Niels Schneider). Meanwhile, Martin keeps an eagle eye on what’s unfolding.
The more he ogles Gemma, the ickier this feels. When a bee stings Gemma’s back and she insists Martin unbutton her dress and suck out the venom, the scene feels ripped from a different kind of movie.
There are some funny moments, especially when Martin is sparring with his teenage son, an avid video gamer. It pains Martin that anyone would value brainless pursuits over intellectual ones. But, as the movie demonstrates, there’s something worse than that: a brainless pursuit masquerading as an intellectual one.
