La Belle Epoque

A nice idea, with the excellent Auteuil and Ardant in a burnt-out marriage, where a spark or two can still be found. And the parallel story of the other couple, who are younger and have much more frequent rows because they lack years of experience is also fine. It's romantic in the French way, so infidelity is treated as par for the course. IN A NUTSHELL: How to resurrect old feelings using old tricks. (05/02/2023)

The old white French can, like few people, actually materialize their melancholy for the old days into a space that is typically a smoky café with a window in which to spend all day and observe your surroundings. From there they watched the revolutions, the transformations of society and the elites, from there they created their illusory safe space where they could sit in a corner for days and pretend to create or think about something big and groundbreaking. Then one day they suddenly had to get up and go outside for every cigarette, then they discovered that the café had actually become a wellness bistro with Wifi, and in the end it dawned on them that they were actually in their sixties and had no place to live out their days in all the social hubbub. La Belle Époque initially pretends to be about the extent to which we are able to accept illusion as reality just to have a chance to go back to the days of our youth, which is essentially a comment on why we love to hide so much in films from the 60s and 70s. In the end, however, following the trend of contemporary French comedy, the only way out is to adapt to the present, as depicted here by the protagonist who opens an Apple computer in the subway or plays ping-pong with one of the local corporate rats in the open space of his son's production company. Fortunately, the film doesn't devolve into one-sided condescending preaching, because there are multiple points of view in the film, and there has to be some sort of general compromise in order to reach a happy ending. Which is thankfully accomplished here without any character having to completely deny themselves. (03/31/2020)

When your gray hair and wrinkles start to become impossible to overlook, technology steals your livelihood and the feeling of not understanding the world around you anymore triumphs, you start to mentally go back to your youth, when your wife hadn't slept with your friend yet and didn't show that you were a burden to her and she would rather kick you out of the apartment. Back to the time when worries didn't plague you and the future looked great. What will your reaction be to the offer of becoming someone else or going back to any past time? No, don't worry, it's not sci-fi and you won't be time traveling. It's just a clever commercial project, where a film studio and a group of actors will arrange an encounter with your revived dream. Maybe even with the love of your life (they can handle much more difficult tasks, after all). The film has everything that a commercially successful and quality film should have. A clever and original idea, an excellent script, and a great cast. The old guard, led by Auteuil and Fanny Ardant, enjoys the role-playing and their younger colleagues keep pace with them. La Belle Epoque is a playful romantic comedy and at the same time a story set in the filmmaking environment, where the screenwriter and director is a god and his desires (almost) a law. Doria Tillier proves that the supply of beautiful, charismatic, and talented actresses in France is practically inexhaustible. Overall impression: 90%. (11/23/2019)

Today's hectic times are not for everyone. While Marianne rejects ageing and lives in symbiosis with technological progress, her husband Victor does not understand the modern world, nor does he find meaning or fulfilment in it, but thanks to his son, he gets the chance to return to the past. Don't expect spaceships, light-speed travel to distant dimensions, or star portals. All it takes are sets, precisely instructed actors and a meticulous director who will drive everyone crazy just to ensure the perfect authenticity of the situation and thus your satisfaction. All Victor needs to do is to chose the era and a specific moment, and he chooses a particular week in the 1970s when he met the love of his life, Marianne – he’s going back to his own Belle Époque. The rest is something you should see. The performances cannot fail to entertain – Daniel Auteuil as the likable but jaded Victor, Fanny Ardant as the vivacious and sassy Marianne, Guillaume Canet as the choleric and pedantic director Antoine, and last but not least Doria Tillier as the talented and charming actress Margot, who plays the young Marianne in Victor's Belle Époque. This film overflows with wit, but also a pleasant melancholy, while delivering a great range of emotions as well. Nicolas Bedos has undoubtedly enriched the world of comedy with this novel and fresh premise. (02/15/2020)

A beautiful, moving and original French film. Daniel Auteuil receives a gift voucher from an agency that can transport their clients to any historical period and allow them to meet any personality. The protagonist decides that he would like to relive his first date with his wife in the 1970s. Once again the French are very original and creative, the humour was tamer, but it was worth it for the great acting (Doria Tillier is excellent!), the magical atmosphere and the good dose of emotion. A nice film to watch. Story****, Action>No, Humor***, Violence>No, Entertainment****, Music***, Visuals****, Atmosphere****, Suspense>No. 7/10. (05/06/2020)