Happily Ever After (2004)

This is one of the more interesting and clever French films of recent times. Yes, it dips into cliché and stereotype territory occasionally, but the dialogue and complex relationships between the actors keep it fresh and enjoyable to the end. Though intended to be just about guys of a certain age and their romantic problems (see Attal's interview in the DVD bonus features), I would say the women steal the show in many ways. Charlotte Gainsbourg is truly wonderful and delivers a very emotional, multi-dimensional performance. Ditto for the beautiful Angie David, playing Attal's mistress. But watch out for Emmanuelle Seigner! She is hilarious as Alain Chabat's ball-busting wife, and deserves to have her screen-time doubled at least. (Indeed, though this film is a sensitive treatment of the serious subject of the pain of infidelity, there are several moments where one loses one's breath laughing.) Attal adds interesting, unusual elements, such as the periodic food/water fights with his wife and Johnny Depp's superb cameos, and overall does a commendable job with the script.Analytic sidebar: Reading between the lines, it appears that this film is intended to convey the message that having a mistress is okay, and the alternate ending (DVD bonus features again) reveals Attal cagily continuing his affair to the end (though this ending did not test well - tellingly - and was changed for the final release). Attal reveals in the bonus interview that he purposely portrayed his wife as a wonderful, understanding, gem of a woman and yet wanted to show that it was still also okay for his character to have a mistress. This adds an extra splash of perverse pathos to the film - Attal writing a script about how it's okay for him to have a mistress, and then casting his own wife in the role of his on-screen wife. Ouch. A bit self-serving in retrospect (though, to be fair, never creeping into Woody Allen territory). Stiff upper lip, Charlotte.In sum, a fine film, innovative in pleasant ways, and full of great performances.

The greatest foreign film I have seen as well as one of the best movies ever. The reason is because the film progress very fluid like because of the story and great performances with a little bit of Johnny Depp added. Most people who don't like this movie don't because they don't understand it. Luckily, the director explains key points (in the featurette).Also, the female lead is so likable and adorable that every guy wishes he had her as a wife. Also, there are many turning points that make the movie not be predictable. The main reason it is so interesting is because it shows what life is like in Europe. Veyr interesting movie. Highly recommended!

This is the third film from triple-threat (Writer-Director-Actor) Yvan Attal and arguably his best. Once again he has cast his real-life partner (they have just had a child) Charlotte Gainsbourg as his screen wife and cast fellow triple-threat wda Alain Chabat as his best friend. Whilst Vincent (Attal) and Gabrielle (Gainsbourg) have a seemingly ideal marriage Georges (Chabat) and Nathalie (Emmanuelle Seigner) are more tempestuous and Nathalie's nagging is ever present. Both couples have a child hence the title, They Were Married And Had Many Children, which is also the French equivalent of the fairy-tale ending 'and so they lived happily ever after'. The third man, Fred (Alain Cohen) is single and has no shortage of girls. This is the broad outline. The twist, such as it is requires Fred to envy the married state, Vincent to lead a double life that fools even Georges and Fred and Georges, the logical one to cheat on a nagging wife to be faithful. Most of the five principals are virtually unknown outside France - Chabat appeared in 'Le Gout des Autres', Attal in 'Bon Voyage' - but Anouk Aimee who plays Vincent's mother is certainly known if only for 'A Man And A Woman' whilst Berri, of course, directed 'Jean de Florette' and 'Manon des Sources'. Attal has done a workmanlike job of exploring male bonding - the men spend hours playing football - and precarious relationships and it's the kind of film that can find an audience abroad. 7/10

A very charming romantic drama. The cast and story are top notch. Although I have seen these actors in other films, they created such rich characters I felt that I was meeting them for the first time. Some of the film was hilarious, some was sad, some brought on some deja vu for the events many people can relate to in their own lives. Whatever the emotion of the scene, it all seemed quite realistic. I would recommend this to all audiences. I saw it in French with English subtitles. It seemed like everyone else in the theatre was as interested in the movie as I was too. It was a pretty hip contemporary story. The film ran for 105 minutes but I would have liked more - maybe Part II?