[critical] WEEKENDS

L‘history : according to different weekends and seasons, WEEKENDS auscultating two couples, Sylvette & Ulrich, Christine & John, respectively played by Noémie Lvovsky, Ulrich Tukur, Karin Viard and Jacques Gamblin.

In the first two scenes, Christine (Karin Viard) is flying voluntarily in the place of another woman in the parking lot of a supermarket ; the result is a muddle rather common… The moment is recounted in the following scene by Christine to her husband, and her two neighbors and friends.

Christine, of course, distorts the facts for not to be a bitch, an individualistic character that it transfers to the other woman. The reactions of his interlocutors show that they are familiar with Christine : her husband not even listening, Sylvette proposes to put in context, Ulrich is indifferent.

The tone of the film is thus given. Search in the lag effect of passing time on the perception of others. Oppose the point of view and the way the story was told.

The big arguments of the film, which sets it apart from the mass, it is its casting and its realization.

The interpreters of the film are as well, all perfect. Each in their own style, both distant from and close to their regular repertoire. Noémie Lvovsky is Sylvette, a friend more or less accurate ; less affected by the problems of Christine, by those who can alter his own perception of the couple. The actress is in a role that is similar to what has already been interpreted, while expanding his character by small tics and mannerisms, thus giving it a consistency that it is, therefore, not necessary to be explained through dialogue.

Ulrich Tukur – her husband, the glue is also to its character down to the finest detail ; his German accent, his pragmatism and his actions / attitudes sweet and loving make her a singular character.

In front of them, Jacques Gamblin is fair and touching, without the shedding. Karin Viard is his wife Christine. Perfect French absolutely average, made hysterical by passion.

Their performance is without a doubt fused with the staging of the film. Anne Villacèque films fairly classic, and “French” but embodies WEEKENDS of all small finds formal, avoiding the viewer the trouble of watching the show daily (well, weekly, since each scene takes place in a weekend).

As well, his sense of timing and rhythm combines with a tone very special all-in offset, which reminds Lvovsky-director, precisely.

Moreover, the writers Villacèque, Sophie Fillières (Stop or I Continue) and Gilles Taurand serve to the fullest of their actors by delicious dialogues remarkably written, in which the minimalism and absurdity clash with the story told. They contrast also with the voice-over narration, the prose, hides a true irony ; rare, she distills yet long-lasting melancholic by putting in parallel the reality of the couple and the passing of time. The framework (Haute-Normandie) is also a figure illustrating this melancholy, with its moods and changes that living with the seasons.

The story, by the association of these various elements in advance without interruption, without repetition, other than the title.

”achieving sober, but inventive and casting at the top for an intelligent reflection on the passing of time and the decline of the feeling of love.”

And then, there is a fifth protagonist – Pascale, played soberly by Aurélia Petit – this character that the viewer share momentarily the point of view, allows a change of atmosphere, from light/hysteria, at a distance which enables a different vision of the characters that we had penetrated the intimate !

It is this sudden change in point of view which allows the film to acquire the unit that was missing slightly to the estate pleasant, but a little absurd of different scenes. His appearance, the balance of this singular film is finally reached ; WEEKEND stands out as a a light way to address a subject common to all, a speech on the

time passes, on the deterioration of the feeling of love.

Her final scene is smart : she contrasts this discourse with a vision of a very young age. In a few minutes, carefully avoiding any stereotype on the youth, she managed to allow to relativize the spleen fiftieth anniversary in the opponent of the spleen of the youth of today. Outside, it presents it as able to understand and accept the sadness of a love that does not function in a few moment… which is Something for which several seasons and a whole film will be necessary for the main protagonists to admit the inélucatbilité. Thus is presented the generation, “twitter”, generation of the moment, far from the usual clichés of auteur cinema in French – as the bearer of hope, in the adaptation. A perfect end for a film more interesting and open, that its appearance as a “left-Télérama” never leaves you guessing.

• Original title : Weekends

• Realization : Anne Villacèque

• Scenario : Anne Villacèque, Sophie Fillières, Gilles Taurand

• Main actors : Karin Viard, Noémie Lvovsky, Jacques Gamblin, Ulrich Tukur, Aurelia Petit

• Country of origin : France

• Released : February 26, 2014

• Duration : 1h30min

• Distributor : Haut et Court

• Synopsis : nothing is sometimes enough to spoil a weekend in the countryside. A simple misunderstanding in a parking lot of a supermarket, a bad reflex, and now everything goes haywire. Things are not going well for Christine. Jean leaves. His friends, Sylvette and Ulrich, are a little smaller than his friends. All fucks the camp. But life is always full of surprises.

Love and désamours in the life of two couples, the time of weekends.