(English equivalent of this famous French proverb ): "great oaks from little acorns grow"
Pascal Rabaté takes a taboo subject (seventy -something's sexuality) and gives it a cheerful treatment;although the screenplay looses steam in the last third ,with hackneyed clichés such as the neo- hippie community and the girl-doing-soul-searching and a pointless trick as the providential car crash,it is pleasant to watch.
The choice of the actors is amazing:pitting a comedy actor such as Daniel Prevost against the most cerebral French actress might have been downright embarrassing,particularly for someone like me who is not exactly a Bulle Ogier fan . But it works :the scenes between Prevost and Ogier,against all odds ,ring true ,particularly the Thé Dansant.
There are good moments ,mostly in the first part:
-the two pals,fishing in the river;then ,after Edmond's death,Emile by the river ,with two fishing rods ,but alone..
-the afternoon with the son and the daughter-in-law ,in which all the lines hit home .
-After the car crash ,the relationship with the retired schoolteacher is a little botched ,but saved by Hélène Vincent (whose performances in "La Vie Est Un Long Fleuve Tranquille " and "Quelques Heures De Printemps" remain memorable).
A lot of nudity ;only those in Emile's mind are a bit embarrassing.
Like this ? Try these ....
"La Vieille Dame Indigne" (René Allio,1970)
"About Schmidt " Alexander Payne ,2002)
