User Reviews

One of the main things that make French Cinema the finest in the world is that against the run of Hollywood play they consistently turn out films about PEOPLE and the Human Condition rather than cgi and sequels and Week-Ends (as it is known everywhere except in England) is a typical example. It centres on two couples, friends for 30 years, who bought adjoining properties in Normandy which they use as week-end retreats. Three of the four, Karin Viard, Jacques Gamblin and Noemie Lvovsky are perhaps not too well known outside France but are certainly household names to non-French admirers of French cinema; all have given exceptional performances in dozens of films whilst Lvovsky is yet another triple-threat, Writer-Director-Actress. Only Ulrich Tukur is best known in his native Germany. Writer-Director Anne Villaceque delivers a delightful look at ordinary people going about their lives when mid-life crisis strikes one of them (Gamblin). In addition to the believable dialogue, wonderful visuals and wispy melancholia, the film offers acting of the highest quality and is to be savoured rather than shouted about. No one is going to be Oscar or even Cesar nominated yet nevertheless this is truly admirable.

Nothing very exceptional about this little french movie. The usual daily life of two couples, neighbours in the Normandy countryside. One of the couples is just in divorce proceeding. I repeat, nothing really unusual here, some schemes that many people among the audiences may have been through. That's the reason why this kind of stories are often popular. The acting is very sharp and accurate, but not as awesome as for instance LE PASSE. One sequence I particularly like is the one between Pascale - Jacques Gamblin's new girl friend and Françoise - Noémie Novwky's mother. These two characters are supporting ones, not the leads. They appear just in the middle of the movie and have not a strong importance at first sight, especially when you can see they disappear just after this scene together. A scene I find very touching, gripping, poignant, when the old woman - the actress is one hundred years old - tells the Young one her souvenirs and talks about the meaning of life, because of her long time experience.

I really realized the importance of this scene, only after the end of the film. If this had occurred between two of the leads, I would not have been so touched. But between two supporting characters who did not know each other one minute before, and split just after, I found this very unusual.

A Worth feature.