Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System

Console best movie i've ever seen.

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

raymond-15 Fleeing to a countrified life style is a common escape for city folk immersed in problems. Francis Bergeade (Michael Serrault) grabs an opportunity to do just that when a TV show designed to find missing persons displays a convincing photograph of him for all the world to see. He soon finds himself leading an idyllic life on a farm with a kind and understanding wife, not like the aggressive spoilt brat he left behind in the city.Much of the humour of this film centres around his friend Gerard (Eddy Mitchell) who is a great manipulator of events. It seems Gerard is enjoying the company of both wives even putting a smile on the face of the lazy wingeing one. There is some entertaining script writing here, both witty and believable.Life on the farm is well photographed and the daily routine well documented, even the preparation of the goose pate of which there is plenty. There remains however the underlying suspicion that the real husband that disappeared 23 years ago could turn up at any moment. A criminal offence would thus be exposed.An investigation of the details regarding the lost husband leads to some surprising discoveries.It's a pleasant little film that has you smiling all the way through. Ignorance is bliss, they say. The revelation at the end casts a black cloud over the happy atmosphere. When all is said and done however, some secrets are best left alone.

writers_reign Cycles are, of course, a part of life and this film is a timely reminder that films themselves represent Escape from the humdrum world. It's reasonable to suppose that the Great Depression, followed closely by the Second World War saw the medium come into its own as people in breadlines always managed to scrape together a few cents to spend an hour or two with Fred and Ginger dancing away the soup kitchens outside in the real world or later Betty Grable made them forget for a while that not too far away people were being put in ovens. Lately film has been used to 'educate', 'politicize', almost anything in fact EXCEPT entertain so this film is a double joy celebrating as it does the ultimate escape from the pressures and stress of modern life. Few people of either sex have not at some point longed to quit the rat race, a nagging spouse, ungrateful children, unsympathetic banks etc, sometimes, as Michel Serrault here, all at once. But in the real world we more or less learn to live with day-to-day problems and make the best of them. Also in the real world it is highly unlikely that a businessman harassed by personnel problems and unhappy with his wife and daughter would be so easily to step into another ready-made family in an idyllic part of the country that provides all the money and love he needs. If you think like that then of course you won't enjoy what is both a charming and delightful movie acted to the hilt by the entire cast - some would protest mildly at the inclusion of Eric Cantona, indeed I myself would be one of them but on balance his role is peripheral at best and certainly not bad enough to detract from a hugely enjoyable film. The bad news is that the real world will still be there when you leave the cinema and/or switch off the DVD but then the real world was waiting for those Depression escapees and they made it through so if they could do it so can you. Highly recommended.

dbdumonteil Everything goes awry in the life of Francis Bergeade: his firm is in strike, his wife Nicole despises him and he has a heart failure. All these reasons incite him, helped by his best friend Gérard to take Michel's place who disappeared twenty six years ago and who is demanded by his family. Thus, he arrives in the life of Dolores who breeds ducks in the south of France with her two daughters. He has made the good choice because it enables him to start a new life again, a more peaceful one...What the very overrated "Amélie Poulain" (2001) tried to reach, "happiness is in the field" (1995) achieved it: to make the spectator happy. Then, hats off to the director Etienne Chatiliez. It is all the more surprising as his third feature film very clearly stands out from the two previous ones. Indeed, there's no mark of social satire like in "life is a long quiet river" (1988) while the malicious humor that dominated "Tatie Danielle" (1990) is here largely absent. Instead, we can understand the movie as a quest for pleasure and welfare and especially the adventures that happen to Francis are positive and only aim at making him happy. Once he will arrive in Dolores' farm, he will find two main things: happiness and affection. Concerning the end of the film, I think it strongly contrasts with the end of Chatiliez's two previous movies which presented the disintegration of two universes (the Le Quesnoy's one and Jean's one) whereas here, the movie ends on an image depicting Francis' new family looking happy and united in front of the farm, at dusk with Gérard repeating to his best friend: "enjoy my pal, enjoy..." In a screenplay playing on the contrast (one of Chatiliez's best weapons), Florence Quentin the scriptwriter, also kept place to ridicule proud people, the more often through blunt dialogs (Francis' family, especially his wife are the perfect quarries to satisfy the scriptwriter's needs).As for the actors, they act their respective roles with an exhilarating pleasure. They take advantage of irresistible dialogs and really great situations. The tandem Serrault/Mitchell shines and their friendship impresses. We have rarely seen such a strong relationship in the history of French cinema. The second one offers an amazing composition as a devoted, vulgar and macho friend. Eddy Mitchell is famous in France as a singer but in Chatiliez's movie, he showed the full extent of his talent as an actor. We can also thank the director for having hired Sabine Azéma, very funny in her role of uptight middle-class person.However, there's one thing I don't understand: what was Chatiliez thinking of when he decided to bring Eric Cantona to the cast? I've got only one sentence to tell my opinion about him: he can't act and it is better to see him play with a ball.Fortunately, it is a comparatively minor fault which doesn't spoil the summary I give about this flick: a heart-warming movie which presents itself as a reliable lesson about joy of living. How great it would be if we could prolong our stay in Dolores' farm surrounded by splendid landscapes bathing in the sunlight!

stratus-2 If you like good, intelligent comedy(something completely different from American empty-headed comedies) this picture is perfect for you. It has interesting and witty dialogues, bright atmosphere and great performances by Michel Serrault(Francis),Eddy Mitchell(Gerard) and specially Sabine Azema who is excellent and hilarious as Francis' wife Nicole.Everytime she appeared I would immediately start to giggle.Rent this one you won't regret.After seeing it you'll feel much better, that's for sure.