Reviews

I saw this at the 2016 French Film Festival in Sydney.

There seems to be an endless supply of "middle-aged male fantasy / crisis" dramedy rom-coms churning out of France at the moment. They feature top-notch actors and gorgeous locations. This is one of them.

My theory is that what Anglosaxon and other men think (that their midlife 'need to find myself crisis' will be solved with a bit of dick action), French male filmmakers put on the big screen, to often charming effect. This is one of them.

The modern twist is that there is usually a sense of agency on the part of the women, so they are not necessarily victims. This is one of those films. In this it appears that the wife is also having an affair (this is revealed in the last part of the film).

I am not a French woman, but I wonder whether French women REALLY can move on so quickly and treat the brief encounter as just that - an uninvolving encounter?

The central character's marriage is long-standing, loving, and has reached a rather boring and humdrum stage, just like many marriages. Many people have affairs and fantasies at that stage. Its depiction in English-language films is usually a traumatic experience. In this genre of french films it is all matter-of-fact. Is this a true representation of French attitudes and culture. I am not condemning, just wondering.

The film is diverting for a couple of hours and has made me think about French mores and representation in cinema.

I saw this at the french Film Festival in Sydney, 2016. I always go to see anything Francois Cluzet is in, but am afraid this year he disappointed. He seemed to be sleep-walking through this. I found the situations he was depicted in fairly tedious and not funny at all, though it is billed as a comedy.

Alice Isaaz is the stand-out in this. She offers a nuanced role and view about the situation, which let's face it, is as old as the hills (Lolita - type seductress and older man who 'can't resist'). Isaaz's character does remind her 45- year old father that HE is the adult.

"Lolita's" doe-eyes and pouting were grating. Her's was a one-note performance.

Cassell was workmanlike, but the character was beyond irritating. His inability to say "No" to a 17 year old temptress was incredibly annoying. The sight of the fading studs walking u the beach eyeing off pert young female flesh was annoying to say the least.

I didn't find it funny on the whole, though there were a couple of moments. Was killing the neighbour's dog instead of a wild boar meant to be funny? It wasn't.

I would not bother to seek this out at a cinema. Maybe a DVD on a rainy afternoon.

I saw this at the French Film Festival in Sydney, 2016. I'm an avid watcher of what I call "fashion- porn" movies - from biopics about designers to docos based on the fashion industry or magazines etc.

In the absence of any of these this year,I went to this film, and found it seductive and charming.

It's one in the endless series of rom-coms that the French film industry seems capable of churning out every year, and yes, there is a traditionally happy "boy gets girl" ending. Along the way there's a divaesque turn by Fanny Ardant - she seemed to be having a lot of fun with the role, but for all that seemed surprisingly wooden.

Not the greatest film ever, and I can't see it getting a general release in English speaking countries, but it was an amusing way to spend an hour and a half in the cinema.