Happily Ever After (2004)

Call it The Mind of the Married French Man. In his second film with Charlotte Gainsbourg (21 Grams), Yvan Attal (Bon Voyage) looks at monogamy through the prism of three middle-aged Parisians who work at the same luxury auto dealership. Georges (Alain Chabat) is unhappily married to the combative Nathalie (Emmanuelle Seigner), the single Fred (Alain Cohen) is seeing several different lovelies, and Vincent (writer/director Attal) has a seemingly idyllic relationship with realtor Gabrielle (Gainsbourg, Attal's companion)--complete with precocious urchin. In reality, they're in a rut. So while Fred swears his is a lonely life, his frustrated friends aren't convinced. One day in a record store, Gabrielle locks eyes with an attractive stranger (Johnny Depp in a mostly wordless, if effective cameo) while listening to Radiohead's "Creep," with its somber "I don't belong here" refrain. Things go no further, although Gainsbourg's expressive face clearly registers a longing for more. Vincent, on the other hand, surrenders to temptation. As in his feature debut, My Wife is an Actress, in which Attal imagined Gainsbourg having an affair with suave co-star Terence Stamp, his Vincent is the weaker of the two, although Gabrielle is a less unwitting victim this time. Happily Ever After, their fifth film as co-stars, treads a fine line between comedy and pathos before giving way to a fantasy concerning Depp. Or was it all in Gabrielle's head? Attal leaves it up to the viewer to decide. --Kathleen C. Fennessy Amazon.com

There are no Happily Ever Afters in this Sophisticated French Comedy.

This is a brave, tres Francaise date movie that should leave couples talking afterwards about the provocative issues it raises involving love, marriage, and monogamy. The point of this film is that there are never any guarantees of happiness when it comes to life, love and marriage. Written and directed by Yvan Attal (My Wife Is an Actress), Happily Ever After (Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants, which translates as "And They Got Married and Had Many Children") is a sexy, 2004 French romantic serio-comedy starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and her real-life husband, Attal, with a long cameo appearance by Johnny Depp (who proves his fluency in French). Married with with a young son (Ben Attal, the son of Attal and Gainsbourg), Vincent (Attal) is cheating on his wife, Gabrielle (Gainsbourg), who is contemplating infidelity herself with Johnny Depp, whom she meets at a Virgin megastore while listening to Radiohead's "Creep." Despite their infidelities, real or imagined, the couple still experiences playful moments in their marriage, along with lots of really hot sex. Meanwhile, hotel manager Georges (Alain Chabat) dreams of escapinging his miserable marriage, and French womanizer Fred (Alain Cohen) longs for a monogomous relationship. "You know nothing about married women," he knowningly tells his friends when they complain about their wives. This is a captivating film, despite its message, which seems to be that there are no "Happily Ever Afters" in the real world.

There is much to love about this film, and there are at least five good reasons to experience it.

1. Gainsbourg's performance as Gabrielle carries the film. Knowing her husband is cheating on her, she weeps in Parisian cafes over the state of her her marriage, and then sadly watches as her 5-year-old son would rather flirt with a girl on the bus than spend time with his mother. "You can't love several people at once," she poignantly lectures her son, despite the film's compelling argument to the contrary.

2. There is one scene in the film where Vincent talks on the phone with his mistress (Angie David) who, unbeknownst to her, happens to be sitting at the very next table to Gabrielle in a crowded bistro.

3. There are two memorable elevator scenes in the film, the first in which Vincent and Gabrielle find themselves in a moment of uncontrolled passion, and the other in which Gabrielle fantasizes that she is kissing Depp as the elevator continues to rise into the clouds without ever stopping.

4. There is also a messy food fight scene between Vincent and Gabrielle which culminates in tender sex between the two.

5. Radiohead, the Velvet Underground, and Elvis Presley are prominantly featured in the killer soundtrack.

G. Merritt November 6, 2008

Interesting but disatisfied

I thought this movie was somewhat good, but it was slow at some parts and the end was just a cliff hanger ( I Think). It didn't meet my expectations, but it wasn't horrible either. April 3, 2008

Not as good as the first, but still great

I LOVE Yvan Attal and Charlotte Gainsbourg and the first dvd "my Wife is an Actress" so this was a no brainer to buy.
But it's a less light hearted movie then the first, a tad more cynical which I didnt' love, but still just smooth as silk, charming, and very French. More thoughtful and serious but they're great actors, so how can you go wrong? :) March 12, 2008

Captivating women

What is it about the sweep of Charlotte Gainsburg's neck, at just that angle, that can be so utterly captivating?

I loved this film - the ensemble cast - in particular the women - intriguing, fragile, strong, cheeky, sassy.

There is a line in Moonstruck, where Olympia Dukakis comments about why men chase younger women "because they fear death". In this film you feel that insecurity - the fleeting nature of their time - and see the ways in which men might try to deal with that: food fights and infidelity, or a descent into a detached coldness of familiar and monotonous routine.

Saw it at the French film festival in Balwyn and it was my favourite film for the year.


July 10, 2007

How's YOUR Marriage?

This movie will make you question your own marriage. If you don't overanalyze what the characters "shoulda, coulda, woulda" done this or that while watching, you'll truly enjoy this film. The title IS ironic. Why do married men and women do the things they do? Well...look at your marriage. December 9, 2006

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