A Vida é um Longo Rio Tranqüilo

June 1987. Lille, in the North of France. Two families live in this big town. On one hand, the "Le Quesnoy", a wealthy family. The father is the manager of "EDF", the mother stays at home and the children are well brought up. On the other hand, the "Groseille" a poor family who lives in a small flat. The father took part in the Algerian War, the mother is listless and the children are delinquents. Apparently, these two families have got nothing in common. However, twelve years ago, two children have been exchanged by a nurse who was left by her lover. They will be given back to their real families..... .....and it won't be easy. It's Etienne Chatiliez's first film and it's very successful. The description of the two families is satirical and it never falls into the caricature. The "Le Quesnoy" are never showing signs of conceit or hypocrisy, they're even a bit ridiculous. The movie is very strong thanks to its actors who are mostly incredible: of course, the main actors :Hélène Vincent won the César for the best actress in 1989. Her portrait and some of her words are irresistible (it's monday, it's raviolis). Benoit Magimel who fits well in the role of Maurice. He's smart and impish. But the minor actors too: Patrick Bouchitey in his role of ecclesiastic, (The scene in which he sings "Jésus reviens etc..." during a party is absolutely brillant and funny, Daniel Gélin, a wistful doctor and a wicked lover. At last, the screenplay is full of little details or words that score the bull's eye. The best example is when Bernadette's spreading her soup on the table during a dinner which means that she doesn't belong to her family circle. To sum up: one of the funniest movies of the eighties.

The subject of two children being switched at birth could have easily been the canvas for a melodramatic movie. Instead of that, this work presents a playfull comedy where the clichés of society classes are scrutinized. The laughs are in the details, some dialogs are just memorable. And if the ending might seem a little unsettled, it has the intelligence of leaving questions and conclusions to the spectator about wealth and happiness.

This movie will warm part of your black heart. We get to see the set up for the reason that two families, which in reality exist in two worlds which never interact, are forced into contact. When the "good" family finds out about their switched child, they seek to recover the child from the "bad" family and raise it in their home along with their other children, natural and switched. Their life quickly deteriorates with numerous misfortunes and confrontations. Towards the end, the "good" mother is seen belting down scotch in the kitchen, her older son comforts her with the tag line "Mom,life is not a river quietly flowing." Many funny scenes and embarrassing situations. If you liked The tall blond many with one black shoe, give this little movie an opportunity.

At last, this little gem of a film is available on DVD (only in French, no subtitles, but it is, in any case, a difficult film to enjoy other than in French), together with 2 hours of additional interviews.

This film is a wicked little satire on the differences (and, below the surface, the similarities) between the bourgeois LeQuesnoy family and the wastrel Groseille family. The artifice used is the switching of two children at birth by the unhappy mistress of the gynaecologist.

For many of the actors and the director, this was their first film, providing a stepping stone for greater things. But "La Vie est un Long Fleuve Tranquille" should not be missed. Many of its little jokes became catchphrases in the France of the eighties and early nineties, so cruelly apt were they.

And do not miss Etienne Chatiliez's later films, particularly "Tatie Danielle" et "Le Bonheur est dans le Pre".

You might not enjoy this film - some people clearly haven't. But I recommend you make the effort to decide for yourself. It will be worth it.

I was quite surprised that many commenters didn't appreciate this film at all. I think you have to understand class differences in French society and the film's kind of satire in order to be able to enjoy the film. I personally loved it though I would have expected a real 'catastrophe' at the end. But I nevertheless liked the story and the characters, especially this very ridiculous, 'perfect' bourgeois family. I loved the scene where the father looks at the crying, completely desperate mother and the only thing that comes to his mind is to tell her: "Comme vous êtes belle ce soir!" (How beautiful you are this evening!)

Probably Americans are not so familiar with this kind of black, but also at times subtle humor and this is why the reactions were so bad.