Le Bonheur est dans le pré (1995) - film review

Francis Bergeade is heading for a mid-life crisis.  The workers in his factory which manufactures toilet accessories are up in arms when he announces cut backs.  His wife and daughter take him (and his wallet) for granted.  And his health is suffering.  Then his life takes an unexpected and dramatic turn.  On a television programme, a Provençal woman launches an appeal to find her husband, who disappeared over twenty years ago.  Francis recognises the missing man as his double, and the following day his neighbours ‘betray’ him to the television station.  Seeing this as an opportunity to get out of his rut, Francis pretends to be the missing man and travels across France to rejoin his lost ‘wife’.  He finds his new life in the idyllic countryside very agreeable at first.  But then he discovers that the man he is impersonating had some mysterious secrets...

Le Bonheur est dans le pré is curious blend of satire and black comedy which has its pleasures but also some frustrations.  On the plus side, the performances from all the lead actors are constantly entertaining (especially Eddy Michell and Sabine Azéma, but footballer Eric Cantona is also worth watching out for in his small role).  Against this, the style of the comedy is unsettlingly varied, ranging from sophisticated anti-bourgeois wit to the insulting bargain-basement humour of trashy teen comedies.

The film’s structure is equally disjointed, lacking any clear direction and ultimately failing to deliver any feeling of satisfaction.  The sense of overall disappointment is heightened by the fact that the first part of the film is actually quite good, making a rather entertaining satire of modern life.  The film later drifts into a bizarre pseudo-thriller, but one lacking any suspense, drive or credibility.  When the film ends, you are left feeling that only half of the story has been told.

© James Travers 2001

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