The story : Gabrielle (Isabelle Carré) is a single mother. 17 year old daughter (Alice de Lencquesaing) decides one day to make a child “to have a gimmick to it,” without the advice of her boyfriend. Furious, the (Thomas Soliveres) refuses to have the paternity. Convinced that he will accept the unborn child when he himself has been recognized by his own father, Gabrielle meets the latter (the Angel, played by Patrick Bruel). She is confronted by a man who is not to displease him, but that is no longer the intention to be interested in the child that put an end to its status as a single person without attachment…
Needless to say more, it may reveal to you the only twists and turns that leave room for hope that the film takes an unexpected turn.
Because even without having seen the film, it’s impossible not to think that everything is already obvious.
From the poster : warm colours, a man and a woman smiling under the words “romantic comedy “, it already feels the happy end and the good feelings… and Then with a title like ANGEL AND GABRIELLE , which combines two first names as wise, and classic (reminiscent of the angel Gabriel, although there is no report) one wonders first if we have to be done in a kind of telefilm, a little gnangnan or even a comedy “marketing” which would be based on the presence of actors “bankable” in the absence of a scenario that maintains the road. We can, therefore, suppress a “?!”, finding Patrick Bruel in a new role of a fifty-year old charmer that just barely engage, recalling the de facto recent and quite a few glorious You want where you don’t want to ? alongside the no-less – “seller” Sophie Marceau. Only the presence ofIsabelle Carré, it is also widely recognized, but whose talent is evident and the choice often inspired, let us hope for a bit more depth…
However, ANGEL AND GABRIELLE, is exactly what one can expect from it !
For what little more you have seen the trailer, which is more akin to a summary of the film as a teaser, you don’t have to wait for anything… And yet… if Patrick Bruel is exactly where you expect (or hope, for some), that is to say, seductive with a hint of irony and a lot of insurance, if we find Isabelle Carré in a role a little redundant, of little, fragile and clumsy but determined, if the shots are linked together and that the sometimes lack of credibility… You can’t say that it gets boring frankly.
Isabelle Carré managed to move us, not as a woman but as a mother of a teenage girl pregnant, that is shared between several feelings : the guilt of being a light to the origin of the situation (for reproduction of the scheme family), on the other hand the annoyance of knowing the difficulties that await her daughter, and finally the unconditional love that grows any mother wanting to help her child. Patrick Bruel is always so natural in a role that seems tailor-made for him, but that reveals nothing of his talents as an actor. For their part, the supporting roles are very well chosen and interpreted with accuracy, catch up a little in the gaps of a scenario is fairly predictable : Alice de Lencquesaing (noticed in Polisse) and Thomas Soliveres bring a certain freshness to it, where Laurent Store, here assigned to the role of a confidant, gay, instills sensitivity and humor. Finally, despite the obvious references and a bit coarse in some of the scenes of the mythical Three Men and a baby basket, it’s impossible not to sketch a few smiles.
“Without surprise or disappointment, ANGEL AND GABRIELLE is exactly what one expects : a romantic comedy ultra light, which makes you smile without thinking.”
In the end, through this film, director Anne Giafferi , who wished to propose another image of the blended family, lack of credibility in some places, a book especially a message to the most hardened celibate : it is never too late to change course ! In a vain attempt to make us shed a tear, it even has the right to a small verse on the reverse of the medal, namely, the loneliness of these men at Christmas and their birthdays. The psychology of counter is not spared, especially when Gabrielle tries to explain the behavior of the father or of the son.
This being said, fans of light romantic comedies, as much as fans of Patrick Bruel will definitely find their happiness in this film in the spirit of “good child” and optimistic.
By Stephanie
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