Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants

After watching the very enjoyable 'My wife is an actress' I had high hopes for 'Happily ever after', alas, the experience was disappointing. Attal started by creating interesting, complex, and even likable characters but was not able to shed any light on his premise, that is 'does or can monogamy work and if how' and cops out in the end with a nonsensical elevator ride into the sky with Gabrielle and l'inconnu Johnny Depp inside. Attal was able to set up its premise nicely during the first half of the movie, then, like feeling himself that he actually has nothing to say really, tried to save the day with whimsical 'musical' numbers, mostly terrible sentimental songs to terrible sentimental montages. He might have tried to make ironical statements with that but it comes over as if he's trying to appeal to the masses and feed them some 'Amalie' moments. The film presents itself very energetic from the beginning, with excellent cinematography and lighting, though a bit too fast cut. All female roles - with the exceptions of Attals real world wife Charlotte Gainsbourg seem to be afterthoughts as he himself admits in an interview and it shows. While they could have added some insight into the 'premise' they haven't been asked to do so by the writer/director.

A very charming romantic drama. The cast and story are top notch. Although I have seen these actors in other films, they created such rich characters I felt that I was meeting them for the first time. Some of the film was hilarious, some was sad, some brought on some deja vu for the events many people can relate to in their own lives. Whatever the emotion of the scene, it all seemed quite realistic. I would recommend this to all audiences. I saw it in French with English subtitles. It seemed like everyone else in the theatre was as interested in the movie as I was too. It was a pretty hip contemporary story. The film ran for 105 minutes but I would have liked more - maybe Part II?

This was a film that I'm not entirely sure I knew anything about. It was the next up on Johnny Depp's feature filmography, which my wife, Jaime, and I are working through. I was intrigued to see this starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, an actor I'm familiar with thanks to Lars von Trier. Other than that, I came into this one blind.

Now this is a dramedy. We have three male friends, Vincent (Yvan Attal), Georges (Alain Chabat) and Fred (Alain Cohen) who are all friends. Vincent is married to Gabrielle (Gainsbourg) and they have a son together. What is wild is that in real life they have a son, who plays this role in the movie. Georges is married to Nathalie (Emmanuelie Seigner) and they have a child. Fred is a bachelor who juggles multiple women.

We follow this group as we see that Vincent is having an affair. Gabrielle has her suspicions. This leads to an odd meeting with Depp's character. It also empowers her to go on vacation with her son and push to move to the country. We then see that love and marriage isn't easy. It also isn't cut and dry either as we go along a look into the lives of these people.

I'll then say that the acting here was good to bring everyone to life. It is interesting to see Gainsbourg in a role like this since it is different. I'm truly getting to see her range. I liked seeing Seigner here since I've seen her in a couple other things as well. No one is great. They do well in what is needed and it feels natural.

Then I will end out by saying this was well-made. Coming in, both Jaime and I were concerned about a 100-minute French movie. It came in fast and it took us about the first 15 minutes to settle in. Once we did though, we were entranced to see how everything would play out. The print we watched could use touching up but I won't fault it either. There is a bit of surrealness, especially with the ending. I did like how it leaves it up to us to interpret what we see. Strategically it is the Gabrielle character there. This won't be for everyone. I don't think it is great, but an interesting piece of borderline arthouse film.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

I found I liked this admittedly sometimes uneven French comedy/drama about love, marriage and fidelity much more the 2nd time around.

Yes, there are still moments that are banal and cliché'. And yes some of the supporting characters tend towards stereotypes.

But there's a life and a playfulness to the film, an almost delirious sense of energetic film- making, peppered with both a truly odd but effective Johnny Depp cameo, and some great rock songs popping up along the way.

The basic story exploring the inherent rockiness of marriage may be old hat, but the cinematic approach and the performances (especially Charlotte Gainsbourg's irresistible young wife and mother) make many of the old ideas often feel new.

A film of memorable moments; sexy, complicated, funny and sad. Much like love it can bit over sweet, or painful, but is very worth the time

This is the third film from triple-threat (Writer-Director-Actor) Yvan Attal and arguably his best. Once again he has cast his real-life partner (they have just had a child) Charlotte Gainsbourg as his screen wife and cast fellow triple-threat wda Alain Chabat as his best friend. Whilst Vincent (Attal) and Gabrielle (Gainsbourg) have a seemingly ideal marriage Georges (Chabat) and Nathalie (Emmanuelle Seigner) are more tempestuous and Nathalie's nagging is ever present. Both couples have a child hence the title, They Were Married And Had Many Children, which is also the French equivalent of the fairy-tale ending 'and so they lived happily ever after'. The third man, Fred (Alain Cohen) is single and has no shortage of girls. This is the broad outline. The twist, such as it is requires Fred to envy the married state, Vincent to lead a double life that fools even Georges and Fred and Georges, the logical one to cheat on a nagging wife to be faithful. Most of the five principals are virtually unknown outside France - Chabat appeared in 'Le Gout des Autres', Attal in 'Bon Voyage' - but Anouk Aimee who plays Vincent's mother is certainly known if only for 'A Man And A Woman' whilst Berri, of course, directed 'Jean de Florette' and 'Manon des Sources'. Attal has done a workmanlike job of exploring male bonding - the men spend hours playing football - and precarious relationships and it's the kind of film that can find an audience abroad. 7/10