Doubles vies

"Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators." Stephen Fry

If you like things French such as conversation, books, love, infidelity, bourgeoise comforts, Eric Rohmer, and Juliette Binoche, then go right to Olivier Assayas' Non-Fiction. Here's a fiction film about incessant arguing over books vs. e-books, roman a clef, and the politics of publishing in a world where the Internet is shaping even the way talented authors structure their dramas.

Books and the Internet, along with the shape of e-books, informs almost every heated discussion of the fetching comedy with a bit of darkness to make it oh-so French interesting. Publisher Alain (Guillaume Canet) refuses to publish long-time writer and client Leonard's (Vincent Macaigne) newest novel possibly because Leonard has a habit of disguising well know people in his characters, this time may be Selena, wife of Alain, and lover of Leonard. After six years of this tomfoolery, do you think Alain might know?

While Assayas has a good old time with this old-time French drawing room stuff, all get togethers evolve into arguments about the viability of hard-bound books versus digital newcomers. No conclusion is made, except for the viewer who delights in the robust shenanigans that disguise the obsession writers and publishers now have over the mortality of books, hard or soft.

Regardless, the middle-aged literati are disguising their own fear of extinction in the face of Tweeted emotions in so many words and young folk who may not read anymore anyway. Even promotion of a book must attend to the right navigation on social media.

It's all heady words for this word lover who is delighted by such clever screwball setups and the idea, like any debate about the existence of God, that because we talk about books, they will endure. This comedy is not so much raucous as it is profound with a whole bunch of French sensibility and sex. I vote for that to endure right along with books.

"Lovers of print are simply confusing the plate for the food." Douglas Adams

I have, of late, become quite a fan of the films of Olivier Assayas, though I was put off this, his last to show in London, by some very iffy reviews. It is, however, fine. I enjoyed it and if there is not much story to relate there is pleasure enough, for me anyway, listening to the various conversations. Conversations about the writing and reading of books and each others wives. The French title is Doubles Vies which translates directly as Double Lives and is perfect, so much so that it amazes me that it was ever changed for the US/UK market. Surprisingly devoid of politics, which is a surprise considering some of the director's previous films. The only real reference is to a disgraced would be leader and comments made suggesting people go into politics to satisfy their own ego rather than to effect change and perhaps this is Assayas' justified snide political comment.

As others said it here, this is a very French film. It's also very verbal and very witty, though most of the text is there only as a vehicle for the story itself about the relationships between four friends two of them being a part of the French literary circle, and their wives. The only reason this thing works at all, is the fact that all of the cast oozes charm. One keeps on watching them talking and talking, because they're so very charming doing it, their wit flows naturally. But the truth is that we didn't really get to see here great original story. All we've got here is an endless verbal deluge, delivered with a certain French smile of self awareness, and as I already said, with loads of charm. If that's enough for you, you'll love this film. I found it a bit longish, I thought the director didn't really know how to end it, so he tried a few endings and left them all in, a mistake not suitable for an experienced director. But that's about it.

Very disappointing film from a good director. First of all after twenty minutes you notice that all the discussions about the effects of internet on publishing industry is passé, characters conversations about ebooks versus paper books are repetitious and boring. All main characters are one dimensional and we don't learn anything about them expect that they all have affairs and husbands infidelities are surprisingly acceptable by their wives. There is no drama or plot to follow except affairs and talks about ebooks !!

As a fan of European films with an intellectual spark and some witty humor, I was expecting to enjoy this. Despite a slow start, I kept hoping for an eventual improvement, but the film just dragged on and on, repeating the same idea in many different settings, to the point of exhaustion, for 108 tedious minutes.

While there were a couple of funny moments, they were too few and far apart. As far as the story went, there was not much beyond the initial concept. As a character-driven film, I found most characters to be flat and unrelatable, particularly the protagonist and his romantic interests. The minor development at the end felt forced and out of place.

Since I saw this at the Toronto Film Festival, a Q&A followed at the end. Unlike other public screenings that I've attended so far, most questions this time came from people in the film industry, who themselves mentioned that they could probably better relate to the book publishing industry, thus this film, than most. Since I'm not of the industry nor a French speaker, I could only hope that some of its charm lost in translation.