Tempos que Mudam

Just to add to the Australian fan's comments -- what is not to like about Changing Times? It echoes Last Metro (last Catherine & Gerard hook-up for the really nostalgia friendly) and tells a romantic story (a bit far fetched but remember suspension of disbelief as ticket of admission?) in a highly contemporary yet grown-up and worldly-wise way -- the cinematography and editing of same is exciting, story-focused and only sags a little in the middle like many of us. Stars like these two, who are actors first, remind us what "star" is supposed to mean -- they disappear into their characters and make you care what happens to them. Younger cast also compelling. vive les french flicks!!

French film "Les Temps Qui Changent"/"Changing Times" is one of those nicely crafted culturally relevant films which suffers a lot due to richness of its great ideas ! This might seem strange as there are many minor stories in this film which invariably cross their paths with a brilliant main story.This is an element which fails to create an impression on viewers as an irregular back and forth jumping in time does not make any significant attempt to concentrate on any single aspect of its protagonists' emotional and sexual lives.There are some nice views of Moroccan city Tangiers as viewers get to see legendary superstars of French cinema Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve make all possible sacrifices to rekindle their lost flames of love. However,all this fails to create a solid film as supporting cast has done an average job.André Téchiné has made better films and this film's failure would not dishearten his loyal admirers who know that he would emerge victorious again with a new film probing unfathomable depths of human relationships.PS : Film critic Lalit Rao would like to thank a good friend Mr.Philippe Pham for having gifted a DVD of this film for detailed analysis.

I'm a bit confused at the negative reactions on here, I really can't imagine anybody disliking this film. It's perfectly solid writing, direction and performances, and I miss the days when filmmakers were encouraged to tell stories relevant to life with relatable but complicated characters, against a fascinating, politically charged backdrop.

I'm a huge fan of Techiné's Wild Reeds, it's one of my favorite films of the 90s (and in general) - and OK, granted, this wasn't *as* good, but it was still horribly clever, sweet and entertaining. Depardieu does well despite a tricky character (who's a little too naive to be believable at times), Deneuve is as gorgeous and just generally magnificent as ever, and the supporting cast fares well also.

Writer/director André Téchiné (Wild Reeds, My Favorite Season, Child of the Night, etc) is able to take what appear to be simple emotional responses from complicated people and create an artwork that makes us think, become introspective, and be challenged and entertained all at the same time. His ability to draw intensely personal performances from his actors makes him a director with a full heart and startling technique.

Essentially a love story, 'Les Temps qui changent' ('Changing Times') examines the lives of two people who fell in love in Paris 30 years ago, but parted. Antoine Lavau (Gérard Depardieu) has never married, so in love with his original flame Cécile (Catherine Deneuve) that he is obsessed with winning her back. Cécile has married a younger man, Natan (Gilbert Melki) who is a philandering physician, and lives in Tangiers where she hosts a dowdy talk show on the radio to help support the family. The couple has a bisexual son Sami (Malik Zidi), who has returned to Tangiers with his drug-addled girlfriend Nadia (Lubna Azabal) and her son Saïd (Idir Elomri) much to his parent's concern, and takes up with his Moroccan lover Bilal (Nadem Rachati). The family problems are further complicated by the fact that the Morroccan Nadia has a twin sister Aïcha (also played by Lubna Azabal) in Tangiers who is trying desperately to separate her life from her twin.

Antoine, an architect of means, manages to land a job in Tangiers in hopes of rekindling his romance with Cécile, but Cécile has become a feminist and a bitter woman who resents her younger husband's infidelity and wants nothing to do with love, especially with the threat of depth of feeling that Antoine's new presence in her world presents. Antoine is persistent, meets Cécile's husband for medical reasons, and tries to woo Cécile in a close to stalking manner. Cécile's best friend Rachel (Tanya Lopert) convinces her that the only way to end the ardor of Antoine is to sleep with him, which she finally does with unexpected results. While the dance between Cécile and Antoine progresses, Natan meets Aïcha, Sami and Bilal arouse old emotions, and Nadia requires rehab for her out of control drug habits. How all of these coincidental occurrences coincide in an unexpected accident for Antoine is André Téchiné's magical way of sharing the power of love in the most adverse of circumstances. The ending is surprising and thought-provoking and eminently satisfying.

Depardieu and Deneuve are luminous in their roles, adding yet other crowns to their careers of creating unforgettable, subtle characterizations on film. The remainder of the cast is also superb and the cinematography and music and editing and direction make this a feast for the eyes and the brain. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

i am such a fan of deneuve and depardieu that i will pretty much see any non- American film that they make. i also hold the other two Techine/Deneuve film projects amongst my favorite french films. so, for these reasons, i saw this film at last weeks Boston MFA's French Film Festival.Unfortunately, I think I regret the time spent with it.The screenplay was just not good. Too much time with side stories of the son that i really did not care about. I feel that the lead performances were wasted because the screenwriter/director did not give enough structure to the three adults (about their pasts together)on which to build a believable present situation. Tant pis. i do hope techine will recover and share with us more of the talent that produced Les Voleurs and Ma Saison Preferee.