Film Review
In her fourth and most inspired film to date director Noémie
Lvovsky proves that it is possible to deliver a life-affirming
comedy-drama about the traumas of growing old and pregnancy without
recourse to tired cliché or egregious sentiment-milking.
With its surreal flourishes (which include an animated sequence in
which a laughing Hitler is repeatedly sliced in two by the heroine) and
respectful homage to Fred Astaire,
Faut
que ça danse! is as wildly unpredictable as it is
entertaining. And, thanks to its high calibre cast and an
intelligently crafted screenplay, there are also more than a few
moments of poignant reflection on the cruel injustices of old age - the
loss of one's faculties, societal prejudices and the difficulty of
starting new relationships - without ever labouring the point.
The film is light-hearted, frothy and ever so slightly mad, but it is
also remarkably true to life.
The film benefits from a particularly strong ensemble of acting talent.
Who better than the seemingly indefatigable Jean-Pierre Marielle to
play the octogenarian Don Juan who, when he is not tapping his toes in
time with Astaire and reprimanding life insurance executives for
cancelling his policy, leads a full and active life chasing skirts and
getting himself locked up in war museums. Marielle doesn't only
deliver another stunning character performance, one that is as funny as
it is touching, he also invigorates the film and gives it the energy it
needs to carry it through its less successful moments. His
pairing with Sabine Azéma, who is every bit the mad fizzy-haired
50-something, and gloriously so, is simply inspired. Bulle Ogier's
scenes with Bakary Sangaré provide a more sombre counterpoint,
memorable for their understated poignancy, a gently melancholic but by
no means maudlin allusion to the tragedy of gradual memory loss.
The one strand of the narrative that doesn't quite gel is that
involving Marielle's daughter, played (with considerable charm) by
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. Whilst this offers some amusing
digressions (such as the suggestion of an Oedipal relationship between
father and daughter and a spectacularly gory assassination of
a certain Fascist dictator which clearly owes something to Wes Craven), it just seems to belong to
another film and sits uncomfortably alongside the genteel geriatric
adventures of Marielle and Ogier. In spite of this,
Faut que ça danse! still
manages to hold together remarkably well and fills out its 100 minutes
without a single dull moment. Admittedly, some of the humour is
in
slightly dubious taste
(expectant mothers are advised to skip past the scenes in which the
heroine goes into labour), but despite one or two such slips from
decency this still remains a highly enjoyable piece, and one that does
a mighty fine job of confounding all those irksome stereotypes about
old age. Life is for living, whatever your age, so get on those
dancing shoes and follow Fred's example. Faut que ça danse!
© James Travers 2011
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Film Synopsis
When busy 30-something Sarah discovers she is pregnant, she soon
realises that she has more than she can cope with. She already
has enough on her plate, with the demands of her partner
François, her over-active father Salomon and her withdrawn
mother Geneviève. Despite being 80, Salomon is bursting
with life, and divides his time between his tap dancing classes and
chasing pretty women. Meanwhile, Geneviève is depressed
and dreams only of living with her kind-hearted carer Mr Mootoosamy,
who may or may not be a golddigger...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.