Elles ne pensent qu’à ça... (1994) - film review

Margeau returns to Paris from New York when her daughter, Jess, takes an overdose of sleeping pills.  The rest of the family arrive in toe, including Jess and Margeau’s former husbands and their current partners.  Jess is currently living with a young musician, but their relationship has stalled, which could explain Jess’ depression...

This foppish light comedy is typical of a new genre in French cinema which is closer to the American sitcom or romantic comedy than to traditional French cinema.  Unfortunately, such films – and this is a prime example -  appear very superficial and inconsequential.  Whilst they might appeal to a certain section of the French cinema public, this kind of film really has  little to attract foreign viewers – except possibly for its two stars, Claudia Cardinal and Carole Laure.

Although the characterisation is pretty dire (and the script not much better), this is in some ways an interesting study of modern family life in France.  Gone are the days of stable family relationships, where large extended families would live together in the same neighbourhood.  The reality is that in France, as elsewhere in western society, marriage and the extended family is fast becoming a thing of the past.  There is still the need for this kind of extended family, and this film shows how such a family can exist, in spite of marital breakdowns.

Unfortunately, this film tackles the subject in a very superficial and unbelievable way.  Claudia Cardinal is cast as the "star lady" and she is constantly nauseating, lacking any kind of dramatic range or subtlety in this film.  With her Hollywood glamour, she is just one constant distraction and she prevents other members of the cast from achieving any kind of depth in their performances – particularly Carole Laure and Bernard Yerlès who should have been the film’s focus.

© James Travers 2000

Write a review for this film...

What do you think of this film?