Take the icon of Hollywood romantic comedies, the most infectious smile in cinema, the actress who has managed to stay true to herself, always consistent in her approach to the passage of time, and see her work with Damien Chazelle, the director of La La Land
The result is an ironic and surprising short film, the ending of which looks like that of the movie “Escape of the Bride”, whose protagonist was Julia Roberts. We are talking about the long-awaited advertisement for a cult perfume from Lancôme, “La vie est belle” in the new version L’Elixir, whose face is the actress. Here Julia relies on instinct, seizes the moment, escapes expectations with a hilarious stunt and goes to enjoy her newfound freedom on the rooftops of Paris.
The film is an invitation to stop associating happiness with the judgment of others and to love yourself more. How does it feel on your skin?
The message of the new campaign greatly affects the way I approach my life. At the moment, I’m very comfortable with who I am: I had the incredible privilege of being successful in my career from a young age, and when it came time to enjoy family life to the fullest, I didn’t have to make choices or compromises like many of my friends were forced to do. I reach the heights of happiness when I am with my loved ones. All these years I could not have asked for a better balance between work and family.
The ad is ironic. And humor is one of your great qualities. What role has it played in your life?
I always say it because I really love it: I love to make people laugh, it brings me immense joy! Throughout my career, irony and humor have played a very important role. Acting in romantic comedies – and this film is an example of that – has always been a passion of mine. In recent years I have had fewer opportunities, but working with Damien and my Lancôme “family” was certainly no exception!
Where do you find the courage to go against the grain, always respecting the essence, without being influenced by society?
I wouldn’t say against the current, more than anything, I like to always be true to myself. As in my life, in my professional choices and the way I live, I prioritize the things I love and what makes me feel truly “me”. I try not to give too much importance to what other people think because I believe, this is the only way to stay truly consistent with myself.
Your smile is contagious. As you get lost in the rooftops of Paris, you seem to be in a state of incredible charm. Your euphoria is an invitation to all women, to dare?
Today we are more and more determined and infinitely stronger. We have the ability to take power even in situations where we don’t necessarily have it. I have a lot of faith in the younger generation, in my nineteen-year-old daughter and her friends who I see as very knowledgeable and dedicated to creating a better world for themselves. It is not an easy historical period, but today’s youth seem ready to do good and set an example for us to overcome all obstacles.
L’Elixir’s new values ​​reevaluate the concept of courage. A beautiful word. What is it for you and how much do you like it?
It’s funny that in the new L’Elixir campaign I had to climb the rooftops of Paris, when in reality I suffer from vertigo: I would never be so brave in real life! (laughs). It’s hard to define courage and say what it means to me in everyday life. I don’t feel particularly brave, but I believe that everything should be done to seize every moment and always live to the fullest.
Even today, women experience certain stages of life as taboo, one of which is menopause. What message do you give to those over 50?
Age is not such an interesting fact. It makes more sense to talk about what we do, how we do it, and what makes us happy. At 56 I am very lucky to have parents with great genes, to live a full life and then – I say this often, sometimes jokingly – I believe strongly in love. I believe that my husband loves me, takes care of me in a way that makes me very happy. And then, whenever you see someone who is real, it doesn’t matter how old they are, right?.
What was it like working with Damien Chazelle? It really seems that he managed to capture his essence?
It was fantastic. And probably the most fun project since the birth of “La vie est belle”! Damien is a young and brilliant talent and, beyond that, we share the same sense of humor that made everything light and fun. I hope to meet him again in the near future!(Vanity Fair)
