After crossing the desert in his career as an actor, Yazid finally sees the end of the tunnel. Sober for six months, he wants to prove to Garance, his new fiancée, and to Hassan, his 16-year-old son, that he is now a different man. But in a few days, his old demons resurface and with them the memories of his childhood in Algeria...
Putting the name of a great French classic in the singular is not gratuitous : the name of the fiancée is Garance (Arletty's role) and Yazid's wedding is not sure at all ; they do not share the same culture even though they are both comedians ;if one attends a dinner in Garance's parents' place , the girl reproaches her love for not introducing her into his own family ; but his situation is complex :he's divorced and he's already got a teenage son with whom he cannot really relate to -remember that in "les enfants du paradis" Baptiste was married with a child too- ;his conversation with his sister begins in a fraternal way but ends up with harsh insults .Besides ,as they are both actors ,Yazid and Garance blend real life with shooting and rehearsals .
Yet,the memories of the past ( which look like old super 8 movies ) are confused and do not bring anything convincing ;besides ,the ending is borrowed from Dino Risi's "il sorpasso " (1962) and arguably many others .
Even though his career seems in healthier shape than it had in months (he used to be a junkie) one feels that it is doomed and resuming it is vain ;tonight's the night?
