Des gens qui s'embrassent

Danièle Thompson CAN make good films, as evidenced by at least two of the few she directed (she is a much more prolific screenwriter than director), "Season's Beatings" (La bûche), the caustic portrait of a dysfunctional family artificially reunited for the inevitable Christmas party, and "Orchestra Seats" (Fauteuils d'orchestre), the bittersweet chronicle of a group of art lovers centering around a young waitress freshly arrived from her province. "Des gens qui s'embrassent", her last work to date, could - and should - have been added to the list of her achievements, as the subject she deals with is rich in dramatic and philosophical possibilities. By getting death into a wedding party (a celebration and a promise of life if any), which she already did in the script of Patrice Chéreau's "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train" (Ceux qui m'aiment prendront le train"), Danièle Thompson gave herself the means of mixing the tragic with the comic, the profound with the superficial. Alas, "Des gens qui s'embrassent" promises much but delivers... almost nothing. To be frank, Danièle Thompson's last baby is no "Four Weddings and a Funeral", the perfect model of its type. Sure, one brother must bury his deceased wife just as the other one is marrying his daughter, but where is the fun ?, where is the insight ? Agreed, there is a confrontation between two Jewish brothers, one austere and rigorist (Éric Elmosnino), the other easy-going and profligate (Kad Merad), but the whole thing remains theoretical and superficial. The real trouble is that the writer- director seems much more fascinated by filming the glittering of the jet set lifestyle and of Saint-Tropez, its unavoidable safe haven, than by reflecting on life choices, as she should have. It is all the more regrettable as, though she had set "Orchestra Seats" in about the same background, she had had a much more critical and relevant approach. In the present case, there is not much to save in this unexciting mess. On the whole, "Des gens qui s'embrassent" is nothing but a blindingly obvious story suffused with photo story sentimentality and peopled by bland characters. The exceptions to this rule are a vivid scene on a train at the beginning of the film enlivened by the charm of Lou de Lâage, a wonderfully sensitive young actress, and the unexpected performance by the famous violin player Ivry Gitlis, who at he age of 90, has a ball in playing the eccentric grandfather losing his memory. Much too little to attract large audiences, the way the other Danièle Thompson movies did. The film quickly disappeared from the screens. For good reasons...

Lou de Laage is potentially the next great film actress from France. Seen at ColCoa 2013, Des Gens qui s'embarassent is a break out performance for her after Jappeloup. The director of Des Gens qui s'embarassent, Daniele Thompson, obviously saw something in this young actress because she is the center of attention and has to carry the film. The camera loves her and she is able to take control of the screen, projecting extremely well with the feeling that she is not acting. She is certainly gifted with the talent and looks that can take her to the top. All she needs to do is to learn English, let great directors find her, and take Hollywood by storm.

The film somewhat yo-yos between notes of heavy drama and wry yet joyful comedy even as, mostly, it decisively and wholeheartedly embraces the latter. For the first fifteen minutes or so this means a tinge of whiplash as a viewer (periodically reprised), and even for as superbly funny as it is, one will observe recognizable strains of humor: a wedding paired with a funeral; stressed family dynamics with strong personalities and conflicting values; characters who have it all continue to search for happiness; the romance of two hearts who are held apart by circumstances. This is, after all, a romantic comedy, and no matter how great the writing may be, the genre is one that's fairly steady. Be that as it may, I'm gladly impressed with the screenplay of filmmaker Danièle Thompson and son and co-writer Christopher Thompson, for it bears wit and intelligence surpassing the broad commonness that's readily detectable. Dialogue is alternately terse and beautiful, thoughtful or heartwarming, or grandly humorous, and the rich, bountiful scene writing follows in kind. Though characters share various qualities they remain diverse in the most meaningful ways, and are written well and completely instead of just being empty stock. The narrative swims in the same waters as like-minded titles, but with plentiful smart detail to keep it fresh; multiple jumps in time might well come off as contrived in some movies, and have, but with the delicate hand that the Thompson team illustrates in their writing, these instead work to bolster the strength of the story beats, be they played for comedy, drama, or both.

Suffice to say that however it might seem from the outside looking in, and despite the contrast between far-flung notes and the more immediately familiar elements - 'Des gens qui s'embrassent' ("people kissing," also known as 'It happened in Saint-Tropez') is fantastic! Against all odds it's deftly balanced between the various moods that it plays with, with the entirety being warm and sweet overall; for all the conflict that characterizes the plot, it says much that the climax is defined not by strife, but love. Danièle's Thompson's direction is as shrewd and even-handed as the screenplay she wrote with her son - and as much as I adore what this represents even on paper, the cast is utterly terrific in equal part. Some members of the ensemble are initially more striking here than others, which is to say that despite Monica Bellucci's star power and the fun she's having as haughty Giovanna, Lou de Laâge right away makes such a huge impression with her tremendously well-rounded skills that (especially in light of prior deserved nominations) I can only ask how it is she has yet to win a César. But truly, everyone else here is just as great, and clearly have just as much of a good time with the material they've been given: Ivry Gitlis, a joy as the elderly and senile grandfather; Eric Elmosnino as quiet and reserved Zef, butting heads with Kad Merad as loud, boastful Roni; Max Boublil, ably navigating the role of conflicted Sam, and Clara Ponsot, sharing similar space as Melita. And so on, and so on. Though he appears only briefly there's also no mistaking the visage of Richard Sammel, and it's a minor delight to see him here.

It feels appropriate that 'Des gens qui s'embrassent' kind of finds a middle ground between what one might say are Thompson's biggest claims to fame as a writer, the free-wheeling absurdity of 1973 riot 'Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob' and the bloody violence of 1994 masterpiece 'La reine Margot.' Danièle and Christopher's screenplay is the chief factor in that regard, sharing its general high value with the stupendous acting, with the direction not far behind. Make no mistake, however: this is sharply made all around, no less than we would expect from most any picture. Filming locations, production design, costume design, hair, makeup, cinematography, editing - all who participated turned in fine work to bring this movie to fruition, and all are to be congratulated. I'll admit I had mixed expectations in some measure, as the premise didn't particularly catch my eye, yet I'm so, so pleased that I chose to watch. I was hoping for something light and mirthful, and what I got was not only that but also touching and meaningful. I don't necessarily think it's outright perfect, as some story ideas that are broached aren't brought back nor resolved (I think primarily of the conversation that Melita and Zef share on the water); nor is this an absolute must-see, demanding viewership. What it is, however, is a romantic comedy-drama that's splendidly well done, hitting all the right notes to entertain and even possibly inspire. I don't think it's so grand that one needs to go out of their way for it, but I do think it's worthwhile even in just considering the writing, or the cast, let alone the whole. As far as I'm concerned 'Des gens qui s'embrassent' earns a high, happy recommendation, and I think it's something just about anyone could enjoy.