Gérard Depardieu leaves France to avoid Hollande's taxes

[angus]

Don't understand how anyone can be this selfish.

Ah, he's an actor.  This is pretty common in the US.  You'd be amazed at the number of actors who claimed that they'd leave the US if Bush won the 2000 election.  Not that we'd be any worse without them.  Of course, none of them carried through on that threat.

I don't know much about this guy except a few movies that I've seen with him in them, typically opposite an aging but still somewhat attractive Catherine Deneuve.  He strikes me as the french version of Karl Malden.  A nose like that is hard to come by.  France's loss will be Bollywood's gain, I suppose.  Or somebody's.  Wherever he moved to.

Oh, shit.  I just checked the link.  Belgium?  Seriously?  France, Belgium, what's the difference?  Nevermind.  His nose can still snort the french chuckle.  No loss to francophone audiences.  And I'm sure Madamme Deneuve won't mind taking short train ride to co-star with him. 

[angus]

Belgium?  Seriously?  France, Belgium, what's the difference?  Nevermind.  His nose can still snort the french chuckle.  No loss to francophone audiences.  And I'm sure Madamme Deneuve won't mind taking short train ride to co-star with him. 

The difference is a bilgeload of taxes. 

The difference to him I understand.  All can understand the economic motivation and his move seems reasonable on that level.

I mean the difference to us.  If this merits a thread, then it must have some underlying practical motivation.  Now, the only relation between the posters herein and Monsieur Depardieu that I can imagine is that of movie watchers and movie actor.  N'est-ce pas?  So, ask yourself, need there be any significant change in that relationship if the actor makes a move to the east, especially when this move is only a couple of hundred miles and does not even cross any linguistic barriers.    

[angus]

He should be permanently banned from entering the country until he pays all taxes he's avoided by leading it. That's the sensible solution to this sort of problem.

Is that guy actually wearing a necktie with a flannel shirt?  And they say straight men have a bad sense of fashion!

Anyway, you may be on to something.  If his artistry is of value, in the real sense, and he cannot exploit it without entering French production studios, then his income diminishes to the point at which the returns from future roles outweigh the taxes.  

Then again, it may be a philosophical matter with him and he'd sooner forego the income than pay the taxes that he considers unfair.  In that case it's the society's loss.  It's a gamble.  If the French are as spineless as every Yankee thinks they are, then they'll make the safe bet.  

[angus]

Does France really want to institute a 21st century version of the Berlin Wall?

ha!  Probably not.  And I'm not advocating it, but rather taking Leif's point to the extreme.  Actually, if all you wanted to do was cramp Depardieu's lifestyle, it's a pretty clever tactic.  But yeah, realistically, I'm sure that the Republic of France has better things to worry about. 

I only started in this thread because I sort of like his character in the films I've seen, and found it a bit disturbing that he was leaving the scene.  After I posted, I clicked on the link only to find that he's moving a few blocks to the east.  Seriously?  It's not like it's really going to affect anything.  If you enjoy the sorts of films he does, then my guess is that you'll be able to continue doing so.  Living in the French-speaking part of Belgium really doesn't seem to be a big departure, and certainly not one that would preclude his acting in French films.  Let the guy live in Belgium and pay lower taxes.  I really don't see this as a huge problem for the French film industry.

[angus]

Who is John Galt?

Bully!  I knew you hadn't sold yourself out completely to the dark side.