MES AMIS, MES AMOURS

France, 2008, 99 minutes, Colour.
Vincent Linden, Pascal Elbe, Viginie Ledoyen, Florence Foresti, Bernadette Lafonte, Mar Sodupe.
Directed by Lorraine Levy.

What is the French word for ‘twee’? It needs to be used several times to describe some of the action and feeling in this very Gallic slice of romantic life – even though it is set in London.

London looks very good here –enough to do some effective touristic advocacy.

The plot is like many of those very French stories about problem relationships. However, some of the characters and their behaviour strain audience suspension of disbelief. It is very hard to accept the central character Mathias’s (Vincent Lindon) falling in love so ultra-rapidly with much younger TV journalist Audrey (Virginie Ledoyen) after she helps him with two bouts of vertigo. It is even harder to believe, even though the screenplay says so, that she could fall in love with him. He is, again the screenplay says so, an attractive middle-aged man. On the other hand, he shows himself moody, selfish, undependable, fickle.

His best friend Antoine (Pascal Albe), though obsessive and fastidious, is far more interesting and likeable. But then, at the drop of a computer key, Antoine falls deeply in love with the florist across the street who has had a thing for him.

Add to the ingredients, a cheerful, pot-smoking restaurateur (Bernadette Lafont) and an ambitious ex-wife. There is also an emotional funeral. When the two men and their children, one boy and one girl, aged nine, share a house, then the two children become precocious interferers in their fathers’ arguments.

It is French soap-opera with a strong cast, fine locations and a catalogue of improbabilities, French-style.

1.A popular French story? Romance? Variations on a theme?

2.The London settings, touristic London? The shop, the flats, the streets, the restaurants …? The familiar landmarks? The musical score – the range of songs, emotional, the romantic aspect commenting on the action?

3.The flashback formula, Mathias and Audrey, talking, reminiscing, Mathias’s story?

4.Mathias, his relationship with Valentine, the divorce? Her living in London, the daughter in London at school? Antoine and his intervention, the invitation for Mathias to come to London? Mathias in Paris, being late, the customer wanting the book, his being rude, his being sacked?

5.The character of Mathias, his age, loneliness? Coming to London, meeting the book-owner, getting the gift of the Wodehouse book, taking over? Sharing with Antoine? His seeing his daughter, taking her to school?

6.Antoine, his obsessive nature, separation from his wife? Looking after his son? Getting Mathias the job? The apartment?

7.Yvonne, her restaurant, listening to all her friends, their congregating at her place? Her manner with the children? With Sophie and the flowers? The renovation of her restaurant? Her smoking pot, her sudden death, the funeral, the reefer on the coffin?

8.Valentine, her ambitions, going to Paris, leaving her daughter with Mathias? Her boyfriend in Paris? The sexual encounters with Mathias? Yet her going off, her return, wanting to take up the relationship again? Failure?

9.Mathias, his work in the shop, Audrey wanting the book, his vertigo, her helping him? At school, the boy up the tree, his being stranded, Audrey helping him down? The dates? The credibility of her falling for him? His falling for her? The relationship, the discussions? Her work, the film, Mathias helping out? Her discovery from Sophie and Yvonne about the ex-wife, the daughter? Her seeing Mathias with Valentine? Breaking off? Her return to Paris, Mathias following her, the reconciliation?

10.Sophie, the flowers, Antoine ghost-writing the letters – really to himself? Sophie and her obsession with Antoine, his not noticing? The final discovery – credible on Antoine’s part?

11.The children, their friendship, playing together, at school, the mobile phones and effecting the reconciliation? Their attitude towards Audrey?

12.Antoine, his work, his rules, the plan to live as a family, the breaking down of the wall? The application of the rules? Mathias, self-centred, disregarding the rules? Antoine and his exasperation? The quarrel? The reconciliation?

13.Realistic figures – or the figures in a contrived romance?