One Stays, the Other Leaves

This is perhaps the most personal film by director Claude Berri, where he dealt with the breakdown of his family. Many middle-aged men will indeed consider the solution chosen by Berri to be reasonable and liberating, to prefer love and passion over stereotypes and responsibilities is certainly tempting. However, I do not completely identify with it and also, I do not consider the script to be particularly well-developed. The film is just one of many in Claude Berri's filmography, where he focuses on the crisis of contemporary family and interpersonal relationships. It is certainly not his best work. The most valuable aspect of the film for me was the performance of actor Daniel Auteuil, who plays the father of a disabled son and an unfaithful husband. Overall impression: 60%. (07/20/2009)