MARIE-FRANCINE/ 50 IS THE NEW 30

And, 2017, 95 minutes, Colour.
Valerie Lemercier, Patrick Timsit, Helene Vincent, Philip Laudenbach, Dennis Podalydes, Nadege Beausson Diagne.
Directed by Valerie Lemercier.

The English title of this French film is something of a distraction, even too flippant for this film which does have a light touch. The French title focuses solely on the central character and leaves the audience to discover and appreciate her situation and the consequences.

Valerie Lemercier was born in 1964 so the plot of this film is close to her personally, released when she was 53. She co-wrote the screenplay, directed the film and took the role of twins – although one of the twins is fairly absent physically from the film’s action.

Marie- Francine is married to Emmanuel, and they have two adult daughters. She works in science in the laboratory. Emmanuel comes to visit her and her world falls apart. He bluntly tells her he has fallen in love and wants to marry a young woman, the laboratory where she works has asbestos and is being closed down and she has medical checks. At age 50, she has to make decisions about leaving her husband, her relationship with the daughters, finding accommodation, and, ultimately, going to live with her parents who often treat her as if she was still a young girl.

In a sense, the film is a tour de force for Valerie Lemercier, her Marie- Francine being something of an eccentric character, something of a loner, awkward with people, aggrieved by her husband’s treatment of her, as well as the somewhat flippant attitudes of her daughters. And she finds her parents parenting of her burdensome. They organise that she work in an e-cigarette shop to earn her keep. She is not very good at her work.

The surprising character in the film is a chef from a restaurant next door to the e-cigarette shop, Miguel (Patrick Timsit). He is not only genial, undergoing a separation with his wife leaving him, his care for his mother, for his son, and his friendship with those who work in the kitchen with him. He is attracted by Marie- Francine, sends his son with a meal, meets with her, serves a customer far more effectively than she could, and the relationship develops.

In a sense, that is about all. There are complications with Marie- Francine’s parents, her gregarious mother, her fussy father, criticisms from her twin sister, and the relationship that Emmanuel had with his younger girlfriend collapsing and his wanting to come back!

Needless to say, Marie- Francine comes out of herself, engages in a relationship that is personal, gets a science job back – and her 50s might well be much better than her 30s!

1. The title? The French focus on Marie- Francine herself? The joke in the English title?

2. Valerie Lemercier, cowriting, directing, acting as the twins, more glamorous as one, tall and depressed as the other? Her comic timing?

3. Marie- Francine’s story, age, husband, the two daughters, her science career? Her relationship with her parents? Not suspecting her husband? His visit to the laboratory, his blunt telling her about falling in love, leaving her? The reaction of her daughters? Her own reaction, upset, leaving? Being blamed for leaving rather than Emmanuel?

4. Emmanuel, age, infatuation, bluntness with his wife, going shopping with his girlfriend and the daughters, her going to the house, his phone call, her being behind the door and hearing everything? The encounters with her, paying the credit card for the meal, his later disillusionment, dressing up as the customer in the shop, the talk, her rejecting him?

5. Problems with her job, the laboratory closing down because of asbestos, her health check? Looking for a room, the maid’s room? Moving in with her parents? The accommodation, the reaction? Their treating her still like a young girl? Her relationship with her twin sister?

6. The job, e-cigarettes, the customers, her awkwardness, her appearance, tall, thin, glasses, hair? Miguel next door, the cook, his bringing the meal, the plate? His situation, his wife leaving him, his relationship with his son, working in the kitchen? His mother? His personality, his charm, attracted to Marie- Francine? His serving the customer and his success?

7. The people of the kitchen, Nadege, confidante, encouraging? His son, serving the meal, at home, the clashes, reconciliation?

8. The parents, the mother, gregarious, her tanning and trapped in the machine, her afternoons, affair? The father, age, watching television, punctuality? Wanting the reconciliation? Encouraging Emmanuel? The father catching his daughter and Miguel together? The reactions? Making friends with Miguel?

9. The continued courting, the meals, the outings?

10. The bonding between the two, possibilities for the future, Marie- Francine and the job interviews, her getting the job?

11. The relevance and humour of the English title compared with the focus of the French title?