Les Petits Mouchoirs

Trying to kill a couple of hours before bed, I decided to give this film a go even though I had not heard an awful lot about it. Having recently seen and enjoyed a couple of Canet's other films, I knew I would at least be entertained. In the next two and a half hours that followed, I can honestly say I was mesmerised by what I saw. As the film finished and the credits rolled in I was overcome with a strange feeling of sadness that the film had finished, but also a huge sense of gratitude that I had probably just seen one of the best films of my life. Coming from an actor and also a Film degree major, that is something I don't take lightly to admitting. Perhaps in time the novelty will wear off and the more times I see it, the more holes I will be able to pick in it. However, I know the film did something right as I felt compelled to sign up on here and write this review at 1am! Now I'm not going to bark on too much about all the reasons why this film is so great, because that is something you all have to make up your own minds with. The best compliment I can pay 'Little White Lies' is that it was such a genuine film in terms of content right down to the acting. Marion Cottilard in particular is absolutely fantastic, there aren't many people who can perform to that level, her performance was flawless at times. Anyhow, I've said my bit. This film deserves to be seen by everyone, I have, I hope you all do too.

Look, if you are looking for an incredibly funny movie, or an incredible drama!... don't watch this, you have to see this one expecting nothing from it, and i really think you will be pleasantly surprised with it, it's a solid story, really well written, i honestly in one moment got lost in it i thought i was watching like a documental or whatever, it seemed so real, the things that happen in the movie are so real, all the story, it's a movie about redemption, with a real message, the kind of message like "there are more important things in life than money" and all that stuff, it's really good.

I have to be honest, i only watched this movie because Marion Cotillard was in it , and she is one of my favorite actresses, so, i saw it expecting nothing and i really liked it.

Give it a try, its a story about family, love, it's sad... it makes you laugh, it's really REALLY good.

Let me start of by saying: Do not watch this because you want to see Jean Dujardin! Since he won the Oscar a couple of months ago, I'm pretty sure the demand on his movies has been increased. But this is not a Dujardin vehicle. While his character is pivotal to the whole story, he himself will not appear in it for a long period of time. I didn't count the minutes, but his screen presence does not warrant you to watch it for him alone.

Having said that, I do hope you watch it for what it is and all the other wonderful french actors that are in it. One of them being his "partner-in-crime" in his newest movie (L'Infidels). The story consists of every character having something inside them, wanting to burst out. Some are subtle about it and some are not. I think the character who is the loudest might feel to be the most annoying one, but the actor walks the fine line of still making him sympathetic enough for us to care. A really good drama, that will find it's audience.

In Paris, a truck runs over the biker Ludo (Jean Dujardin) while he is driving home after spending the night snorting cocaine in a night-club. His long-time friends visit him in the hospital where he is in coma. The group is ready to travel on the annual vacation to the house of the successful businessman Max Cantara (François Cluzet) nearby Bordeaux and they decide to travel anyway and return when Ludo is better.

The physiotherapist Vincent Ribaud (Benoît Magimel), who is married with a child, tells to his fifteen year-old friend and godfather of his son, Max, that he wants to talk to him in private and they have lunch together in Max's restaurant. Vincent discloses to him that he has fallen in love with him. Max reacts to his words and Vincent asks him to keep the secret and forget their conversation.

Along the days, each friend has a little secret while Max is near nervous breakdown with Vincent. Until the day that Max's friend Jean-Louis (Joël Dupuch) tells the truth about their little lies and friendship.

"Les Petits Mouchoirs" is a French movie about friends' reunion in the same style of the American "The Big Chill" by Lawrence Kasdan or the British "Peter's Friends" by Kenneth Branagh. The movie has great performances but the prolix story is too long, a corny conclusion and deserved to be better and better for such wonderful cast. I liked this movie, but many sub-plots and the conclusion should have been shortened or deleted in the edition. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Até a Eternidade" ("Until the Eternity")

Beautiful movie with topics and acting FAR ABOVE what we are used to get from the States (Hollywood). Most people in this movie of Canet are in their best years of their lives (and above the average if looking at their attractiveness)and meet on a holiday in Les Landes, south of France. Beautiful back ground music and (no French) songs coupled to nice realistic scenes of people which enjoy their holidays, but also have many disputes with their "friends". Acting is phenomenal!!All scenes within 2 and half hours watching are realistic and recognizable to the observer. The movie shows that people need each other to be able to have sex and make joy. If someone fells ill or is badly wounded as in this movie Ludo, he (or she) can shake it, because people tend to pay attention only to those which can offer them good company, joy or sex. Still there are some very friendly en good characters in this movie which offer people their attention without asking something in return. And off course the women in this movie are very forgiving to their more egoistic male partners, as is the case in real life.......