I had an opportunity to tell Jennifer how incredible I thought she was in the film she did several years ago with her husband, Mark Anthony, “El cantante.” I missed it when it came out but Richard and I watched it the other night. She is as fine as I’ve ever seen her. Her considerable acting talent in full force as a tough, sexy (gorgeous) Puerto Rican woman , the partner of the Puerto Rican singing idol, Héctor Lavoe, played well by Mark Anthony. She blew my mind in the role. If I was still producing, I’d find a project for her with a role that allowed her to play this sort of character. Oh yes, and the subject of “American Idol” came up as well! I think she is good in it.

I also got another chance to tell Michelle Williams, again, how fantastic she is as an actor. Always, but especially in Blue Valentine.

Tonight is the last preview before tomorrow’s opening. I am not nervous. More excited than anything. Cher is coming, and Lindsey Lohan, Colin Farrell, Angelica Huston, Chelsea Handler, Rosanna Arquette, Carla Gugino, Christian Slater, Peter Fonda, John Glover, Ben Vereen and many other friends and family.

Throw out a little “Break a Leg” for me. Thanks!

Tulea has made a home for herself in my new dressing room. I will take some pictures when I have my Gees Bend quilt in place…want to show my digs to best advantage. The room is larger, wider, than the one at the Eugene O’Neil but there is no separate room for the couch where I sleep between matinee and evening shows…love that time by myself.

Jennifer Weinstein is here to run line a during breaks and look after Tulea when i am working. Simone Bent, my daughter- in- law, came to get addresses from me to send invitations to our closing night fundraising party for The Womens Media Center on March 6th. Tommy Mitchell, who, works with me together with his wife, Carole, to bring my stuff– honey, green tea, dog food, candles, crackers, Propel water, my soft down sleeping pillow…well, I don’t need to bore you with all the details. I have a boom box and lots and lots of gorgeous CDs of various Beethoven works that I bought in Bonn when I went there to visit Beethoven’s birthplace, museum and the archives. I wept when I stood in the actual room where Beethoven was born.

Oh, see this? My friend, writer Hilton Als sent this to me. He found it on the Internet. Hilton wrote, “Clearly, you and ’33 Variations’ were meant to find each other.” this photo of me in a Beethoven sweatshirt with Peter McHenry was taken in 1968. Peter starred with me in 1967 in “La Curee“, the film my first husband, Roger Vadim, directed right before ” Barbarella”. Isn’t that too cool?

Back to today. We will work till 11:30 tonight and I will go home one tired mama. Tomorrow’s our day off and I will do my acupuncture thing, get a manicure which means taking off my polish. I don’t think a musicologist would wear nail polish.

Our break is over, so back to work.

Catherine and Christian

Christian, Vania

Christian and Olivia

Christian, Julia, Catherine, Vania, Olivia

Helene, Vadim's sister, who is a film editor

Helen's daughter, Nathalie with baby Lou in her arms

Me with baby Lou

me and Lou

Nathalie, vadim's niece

vania and olivia

Julia, Christine, Their daughter, Lou, Vanya, olivia

tulea sleeping through it all next to Nathalie

Olivia, Christian, Lou, Vanya and Olivia

Stay tuned.

The director decided the dance Claude and I do will not be the Tango—too formal and “prepared”–but, instead, just a dance that is easier to improvise. I’m a little sad because I was enjoying learning the tango steps. Oh well.

I was so enthralled with meeting everyone and being in front of the camera that I forgot to take any pictures for this blog. Dang! I think, I felt and everyone said, that we all looked great together…very familiar and at ease. Dominic, the hairstylist, cut my hair a little shorter which looks good for the character. I like the way he and the makeup artist, Fabienne (I got her name wrong on my last blog), are making me look. Not glamorous but right. I decided I will not go to the rushes. I don’t want to become self-conscious with how I look. I’ve got enough to worry about with the French dialogue.

Last night a friend from Atlanta, Mark Benerofe, called and asked me to dinner. Actually, he invited me to go to the French open Tennis tournament with him but I had to decline cause we were working but I wish I could have gone. My friend, Martina Navratilova was doing the commentary and I could have seen her.

Anyway, Mark and I and his friend, Perry Cantarutti (Senior VP of my favorite airline, Delta, for Europe, the Middle East and Africa) had dinner at Café Flore on Blvd St Germain on the left bank. I hadn’t been there for such a long time. I’m going to take Richard there for lunch when he comes mid June.

That’s Perry on the left and Mark on the right...Tulea in the middle.

I just finished rehearsing with Pierre Richard and our director, Stephane, here in my apartment and now I am going to look for a hotel near me for Troy and Simone who are coming June 8th for 3 days before we go to St Tropez for my daughter, Vanessa’s, wedding to Paul Van Winkle, whom I like a lot. I am very happy for them. The wedding will take place in the home of Catherine Schneider, whom Vadim (my first husband) married after me. She and I are good friends and I look forward to seeing Vadim’s family at the wedding—his sister, Helene, his niece and nephew and other children, including his son with Catherine, Vania Vadim. Tomorrow Catherine and I will go to Vania’s photo exhibition and have dinner after.

See you next time.

I wanted very much to take advantage of my first-class round trip ticket provided generously by UNESCO to stop by Paris. I am going to be making a French film in Paris in June and I had hoped the cast and director could arrange their schedules to have an introductory dinner together—give us all fantasies and mental images of our playmates between now and June. This will be my first film in French in almost 50 years!! It is a challenge I am greatly looking forward to and, I know, Vadim (my first French husband), will be very much with me during the shooting. It is a tender, humorous, charming story about two couples and another dear friend with whom the two women had once been lovers who, because of the financial and physical challenges of age, decide to all move in together. (As many seniors are doing these days) A young sociologist who is doing research on the lives of older people is invited to live with them as well. I play an American who has lived all her life in France and is a Professor of Philosophy at the Sorbonne.

Before the dinner, the author and film director, Stéphane Robelin and producer, Christophe Bruncher came to my hotel for drinks. I was startled by how young they both are, Stéphane is 39 and Christophe is 35. Just about the age of my children. This will be Stéphane’s first film but he has an air of confidence and creative vision that made me feel I will be safe. I think it’s fair to say we felt very comfortable together by the time we left for dinner.

Christophe, our producer, and Stéphane, our writer/director

We drove up the hill to the top of Montmartre where the iconic church, the round-domed Sacre Coeur, sits imposingly.

Sacre Coeur

Sacre Coeur

The first person I saw when I entered the dining room was Geraldine Chaplin who, with her Chilean cinematographer husband had come in from Switzerland for the evening. I was so excited when I learned she was going to be in the film as I have always wanted to meet her. I was on stage with her father the night he made his triumphant return to Hollywood to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Oscars—the same night I won mine for “Klute.” I am really looking forward to getting to know Geraldine during the filming. I like the way she has done her life.

Daniel Bruhl, the new German star who appeared most recently in Quentin Tarrantino’s film with Brad Pitt, was able to fly in from Germany to be with us. Daniel will play the young researcher who moves in with us and with whom I develop a close friendship. I found Daniel’s presence sweet, attentive and soulful. Perfect for the role.

German star, Daniel Bruhl

Guy Bedos, the renown French actor, came to the dinner right from the theatre where he is performing a one-man show. The beloved French comedian, Pierre Richard, was there looking appropriately hirsute, sweet and bohemian to play the role of my husband. Only Claude Rich was not able to join us because he is touring in a play. This experienced, international cast brings heft and deep talent to our small, independent film. Most importantly, we could all tell that the seeds have been planted for real camaraderie and fun…and a lot of fine red wine.

Pierre Richard drove away in the rain on his motor bike and I went “home”“ for a few hours sleep before making the final trek back to Richard.

Guy Bedos and Pierre Richard...what handsome guys!

Pierre Richard, my 'husband'

I took a fancy to Geraldine's sneakers

I found out that the cream I promote for L’Oreal—Age Re-Perfect Pro-Calcium– is sold in pharmacies like CVS and Walmart. By the way, all my L’Oreal commercials have been directed by women. The first 5 by Nicole Garcia and this one by Anne Fontaine. She has directed 10 feature films including most recently, “Coco avant Chanel” (“Before Chanel”) with Audrey Tautou that will be released soon in the U.S.

Coincidently, a photographer whom i had not seen for 45 years–turned out to live right next door to where we were shooting and he came by and brought me photos and even video footage from those days with Vadim. They were taken when I was making “La curee” with Vadim. That was before Vanessa was born. My stepdaughter, Nathalie, spent a lot of time with us and it is bittersweet to see her in so many of the pictures–a beautiful, long-legged gamine, so much like her gorgeous mother, danish actress Annette Stroyberg (now dead), but with Vadim’s exotic Slav eyes. I can see in some photos in particular how in love Vadim and I were. Other photos were taken while Vadim was shooting “Helle” with actress Gwen Wells in the swiss alps. Vadim and I were no longer together and Vanessa was about a year and a half old. I wish I’d been more gifted at marriage.

We just arrived at the Paris airport–Charles de Gaulle.

So–a la prochaine.