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Director:
Claude Lelouch
Starring: Marthe Keller, André Dussollier, Charles Denner, Carla Gravina, Charles Gérard |
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Summary
The lives and loves of three generations of Parisians are played against the backdrop
of historic events of the Twentieth Century. A Jewish man, David Goldman, meets
his future wife in a train transporting internees of a concentration camp back to France
at the end of the Second World War. After his wife dies – whilst giving birth to
their daughter, Sarah – Goldman works hard and becomes a successful shoe manufacturer.
Sarah has no interest in wealth and, after the death of her father, is unwilling to take
on his business. Simon is a petty crook who, after several spells in prison,
becomes a successful filmmaker. Despite their good fortune, both Sarah and Simon
prove to be unlucky in love. Will fate bring them together..?
Credits
 More French Drama  More French Romance |
Review
In this loosely structured romantic comedy, director Claude Lelouch pushes his talent
for the experimental to the limit and manages to combine over a dozen genres and film
styles without – as it were – totally losing the plot. The film is as much a celebration
of the art of cinema as it is a romantic comedy, and it might even be classifiable as
a documentary of the Twentieth Century, with some worryingly accurate "future gazing"
thrown in for good measure.
Lelouch’s love of cinema is visible throughout – most apparently in his spirited attempts to capture the various episodes of the film in the cinematic style of the époque they represent. The director’s trademarks – fancy camerawork and a lively musical score – are more than noticeable, making this a lively and dynamic piece of cinema. Popular singer Gilbert Bécaud makes a substantial contribution to the film, which features a number of his hit recordings. The downside of Lelouch’s unrestrained inventiveness is a lack of discipline which allows the film to go off in some bizarre directions which add little to the content and risk losing the audience’s concentration. In a film which is as free-format and wide-ranging as Toute la vie, this is a particular problem and the spectator is often left wondering where on Earth the film is heading as it drifts haphazardly between socio-political commentary, burlesque comedy, romantic drama and historical documentary. That said, this is a hugely original film whose charms more than make up for its ill-advised indulgences. Delightful performances from Marthe Keller, Charles Denner and André Dussollier, combined with some stylish editing and an unusual comic slant, make this a fun film, which is made all the more entertaining by its delirious unpredictability. © James Travers 2003 Write a review for this film... User Comments
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