Catherine Deneuve

Move from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) to Potiche (2010) for a generous stretch of Deneuve's French screen career. Jacques Demy's sung romance builds on her youthful poise, while François Ozon's comedy makes use of an older star's authority and capacity for mischief. The contrast is more revealing than treating her as a fixed emblem of elegance. Her best work invites attention to the vulnerability, calculation or humour beneath that surface.