*SPOILERS* I don't know why I usually think that Romain Duris always gets the same parts, the "french guy" part, playboy without a cause, always dumb and uncontrollably spiteful when he's angry, spending his time destroying all he's trying to build, always trying to find dumber answers to dumb questions ( and believe me, as a French, seeing the "french guy" is such a bad cliché is quite annoying ). And that movie wasn't there to prove me wrong.
The thing is, I'm not into movies where characters do not evolve when those are so dumb i cannot identify myself with them. Here, Romain spends his time flirting, sleeping with every kind of girls he happens to find, not making any kind of effort just trying to make it work with one of them and asking himself "why is life so damn complicated ?". He doesn't hesitate one bit to cheat on his so called "loved one" and finally "realises" that he does love her ( dose he really ? ) because the nice chick that's got him cheating leaves him just like that to hunt for more interesting people. I quoted "realises" because it's less "realises" than it is finding himself an excuses to get back to the previous chick.
There are in this movie some of the most Dumbest reflections about love and relationships that I've heard in my life ( for example : you have to "try" every girl you can get your hands on to find the "one"... in fact that is not really dumb if you take it in a large scale, but in the characters perspective, regarding how he deals with women without making anything of effort except for begging them to forgive whatever mistakes he makes all the time, ( that is, when he's not just yelling and shouting at them ), i find it really revolting )
Of course there are good points in the movie.. The "describing the writer's profession" is often true and realistic, some jokes are really to die for ( especially the one with the neighbor being so amazed to realize that the big bang theory is just a .. theory :D ), the cast is great ( Tautou makes a great "idon't care about my surroundings, i just acer about everyone else" kind of 70s ideas person, Cecile De France Strongly depicts a bit too excessive lesbian), and finally, the movie depicts greatly the mood and state of mind of 30 y/o nowadays ( i'm 30, I should know some ). I'm sad that the "we are all part of the same planet" part is done in 2 minutes at the end of a marriage, like it HAD just to Be somewhere in the movie, just to honor the one character that has evolved since the previous movie, the characters usually being depicted in a single boring and minor storyline...
But I think the thing that mainly bothers me in this is .. it isn't at all a reflection. It isn't at all a movie saying " you won't get far being an idiot" because the girls will always fall for you and forgive you whatever stupid things you might do and that's just the way it is. Shouting, cheating are not issues, because there's love. And at the same time, the characters spend their time not understanding what's wrong with their lives, while not making any kind of efforts. Just living passively, just compelled by what they want to do or not. because their so called "freedom" is something that has to be absolute, whatever the consequences. and why is that ? the Romain's character says it like there's no way around it : i won't change, it's my way, that's who i am. ( i couldn't help but understanding it as : i'm just a complete idiot, bear with me because that's all there is to it" ) I won't be surprised to see another movie with yet again the same characters making exactly the same mistakes, and asking themselves the same dumb questions in another 10 years or so. May be that's the point finally ... proving that people do not evolve ?
I got strongly annoyed and bored at the half of the movie while still struggling to find it interesting, but i'm sorry, i just didn't. I've heard rumors here and there saying that Mr Klapish tried to make a bad movie on purpose ... i don't know if these a accurate, but to me he certainly succeeded
The thing is, I'm not into movies where characters do not evolve when those are so dumb i cannot identify myself with them. Here, Romain spends his time flirting, sleeping with every kind of girls he happens to find, not making any kind of effort just trying to make it work with one of them and asking himself "why is life so damn complicated ?". He doesn't hesitate one bit to cheat on his so called "loved one" and finally "realises" that he does love her ( dose he really ? ) because the nice chick that's got him cheating leaves him just like that to hunt for more interesting people. I quoted "realises" because it's less "realises" than it is finding himself an excuses to get back to the previous chick.
There are in this movie some of the most Dumbest reflections about love and relationships that I've heard in my life ( for example : you have to "try" every girl you can get your hands on to find the "one"... in fact that is not really dumb if you take it in a large scale, but in the characters perspective, regarding how he deals with women without making anything of effort except for begging them to forgive whatever mistakes he makes all the time, ( that is, when he's not just yelling and shouting at them ), i find it really revolting )
Of course there are good points in the movie.. The "describing the writer's profession" is often true and realistic, some jokes are really to die for ( especially the one with the neighbor being so amazed to realize that the big bang theory is just a .. theory :D ), the cast is great ( Tautou makes a great "idon't care about my surroundings, i just acer about everyone else" kind of 70s ideas person, Cecile De France Strongly depicts a bit too excessive lesbian), and finally, the movie depicts greatly the mood and state of mind of 30 y/o nowadays ( i'm 30, I should know some ). I'm sad that the "we are all part of the same planet" part is done in 2 minutes at the end of a marriage, like it HAD just to Be somewhere in the movie, just to honor the one character that has evolved since the previous movie, the characters usually being depicted in a single boring and minor storyline...
But I think the thing that mainly bothers me in this is .. it isn't at all a reflection. It isn't at all a movie saying " you won't get far being an idiot" because the girls will always fall for you and forgive you whatever stupid things you might do and that's just the way it is. Shouting, cheating are not issues, because there's love. And at the same time, the characters spend their time not understanding what's wrong with their lives, while not making any kind of efforts. Just living passively, just compelled by what they want to do or not. because their so called "freedom" is something that has to be absolute, whatever the consequences. and why is that ? the Romain's character says it like there's no way around it : i won't change, it's my way, that's who i am. ( i couldn't help but understanding it as : i'm just a complete idiot, bear with me because that's all there is to it" ) I won't be surprised to see another movie with yet again the same characters making exactly the same mistakes, and asking themselves the same dumb questions in another 10 years or so. May be that's the point finally ... proving that people do not evolve ?
I got strongly annoyed and bored at the half of the movie while still struggling to find it interesting, but i'm sorry, i just didn't. I've heard rumors here and there saying that Mr Klapish tried to make a bad movie on purpose ... i don't know if these a accurate, but to me he certainly succeeded