I Feel Better

The first half of the movie is good fun and rings true:Laurent 's backache may be caused by stress ,but he is primarily a hypochondriac .The cast and credits appear on X-rays ,which makes sense, for the hero is afraid his backache might hide something more terrible ,a tumor for instance.When he has a scan and the doctor says that he's got a problem ,he's terrified ;when he's told there's a spot on his vertebral column ,he can't sleep a wink all night .Distraught ,he calls his parents on the phone at 6 AM to invite them for dinner ; and his mother is as anxious as he is . To make matters worse ,he is subject to his nasty colleague's bad jokes.

The slump begins when the best friend's wife offers herself to him with rage ;then it's downhill :from the prostitute (the healing has begun?) to the "feel good " final , the screenplay turns as horrible as the pictures the lover paints . It was a witty little comedy -one could easily identify with the hero :who has never feared something might be wrong with a X-ray or a blood test?It becomes an obnoxious farce which spoils the pleasure one takes in the first half.

Louise Lemétrie ,who plays Laurent's mom ,is only 9 years his senior!