Chambre 212

Chambre 212 a.k.a. "On A Magical Night" is a retread of stories of what-could-have-beens à la It's a Wonderful Life, Non-Fiction and even A Christmas Carol. This time the older adults became shadows of who they were when they were young. There is a lot of homage to movies here, very talk-y and chatty air like early- to mid-career Woody Allen and Nora Ephron, and good deployment of songs as musical score. While a bit light in premise, the substance of the script intelligently goes beyond the usual stories of reflective recollections. The principal cast and their old/young selves were uniformly very good, animating the curves and crevices of the well developed screenplay. Certain line readings (especially how it is said in French) are funny without being precious.

A woman with a very special character has been cheating on her husband for years with young, well-groomed minots. The husband ends up realizing, and the couple takes a night to think about their separate states of a simple alley. This film is a very good surprise, it is expected by reading the synopsis to a French drama all that is classic and schoolboy but we find ourselves in front of a truly touching work combining comedy, fantasy and obviously drama. The 4 main characters are played with great accuracy, special mention to Chiara Mastroianni and Vincent Lacoste who plays characters with very nice attitude. Christophe Honoré delivers a film to the screenplay that I have already seen dozens of times, but never in this way.

Director Christophe Honoré continues to build a brilliant career with focus on modern lovers battling obstacles and standards, while setting themselves free for love and pleasure. Gorgeous and versatile, Chiara Mastroianni exercises her comic skills as a promiscuous adulterous who finds herself on a deep self-examination after getting caught by her prudent husband. In a stylish, elegant and ambiguous dreamlike atmosphere, deeply influenced by Buñuel and Fellini, the director conceives a provocative, sexy and contemplative analysis on a marital crisis, as well as an intriguing homage to memory and individual time.

Very interesting concept but I didn't fully get into the story or its message. Unlike most, while i really like lacoste and cottin in other movies, i didn't feel they were a good choice for these roles. Something felt off but it's still an enjoyable movie to watch.

... and what to do about it. In the case of Maria it's to have a fling or fifteen through those years of her marriage where the spark has gone. An original take, as her lovers and her conscience amongst others, revisit over a reflective night.