As a matter of comparison in some measure, one could point to certain Hollywood ensemble pieces of the past twenty years or so: dramas like 'Crash' or 'Noel' (both released in 2004), or comedies such as 'Love, actually' or 'Valentine's Day.' Of the many names in the cast, several should be very recognizable to viewers from most any locale (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Aurore Clément, Anouk Aimée, arguably Alain Chabat), while others have renown more limited to the continent. Despite the size of the cast, though, there's definitely one story thread that fills the bulk of the screenplay, made more unusual for the fact that the first half of the feature is decidedly rather loose and scattered in its storytelling, while the narrative tightens in the second half. (And for the fact of that tightening, the secondary threads - though they are brought to a conclusion more or less - nevertheless feel like they're treated even more poorly in the latter half.) Meanwhile, the strength of the writing (and the execution in turn) is highly variable through to the very end: some inclusions, as small as the use of music or as substantial as whole scenes, range from genuinely brilliant, to appropriate in a sideways fashion but ill-fitting as they present, to confusing or breaking from the timeline or tone of the picture. Alongside that variable writing, it also feels like 'Happily ever after' makes wild swings between comedy and drama, the former light and lovely at its best, and the latter giving us a few moments that inspire a quizzical "What?"
All this is to say that the movie is uneven, and not always entirely convincing. It's enjoyable more than not, and by no means do I think it's bad, but some ideas (again, even whole scenes) could have been dropped without losing anything, and others needed to be altered. Or is it that editor Jennifer Augé made some choices of sequencing that somewhat muddle the end result? It would be weird if Augé were partly responsible, because in a couple instances her editing directly plays into two of those sparks of ingenuity in Yvan Attal's screenplay. Regardless, in most ways this is well made, including commendable direction from filmmaker Attal. The cast give fine performances all around, from the chief stars (though Gainsbourg and Attal, and their then-seven year old son Ben, have an obvious familial advantage to their on-screen chemistry), to supporting players like Angie David or even those who appear in only one scene, like Clément. Rémy Chevrin's cinematography stands out a bit to me, in some moments more than others; the filming locations and production design are smartly paired. To whatever degree of success the supporting characters are woven into the overall narrative, the central thread is well considered and modestly compelling, and the scene writing in particular is pretty strong even if I disagree with some examples thereof. Both aspects of this comedy-drama are mixed, but splendidly satisfying at their best.
The end result of all this is less a singular discrete plot, and more a broad portrait of Romance and Relationships with story threads of varying size. I suppose what it comes down to is that this is passingly entertaining on its own merits if one happens to come across it, and it's suggested most for those who are especial fans of those involved. With or without consideration of its weaknesses, it's also nothing to go out of one's way to see; this is a feature built for light amusement, and not a night set aside. Maybe that's all it needs to be, for that matter; there's no rule that says every title needs to be an essential classic. Temper your expectations one way or another, but while 'Happily ever after' may not be a revelatory viewing experience, there are certainly worse ways to spend one's time.
