La Vie à deux
| 1958 Comedy / Romance |  |
Credits Director:
Clément Duhour
Script: Sacha Guitry Photo: Robert Lefebvre Music: Hubert Rostaing Cast: Pierre Brasseur (Pierre Careau), Louis de Funès (Me Stéphane, le notaire), Jean Marais (Teddy Brooks), Gérard Philipe (Désiré), Lilli Palmer (Odette de Starenberg), Danielle Darrieux (Monique Lebeaut), Pierre Mondy (M. Lebeaut), Robert Lamoureux (Thierry Raval), Fernandel (Marcel Caboufigue), Clément Duhour (Georges), Jean Richard (André le Lorrain), Jean Tissier (Arthur), Edwige Feuillère (Françoise Sellier, ex-Carreau) Runtime: 100 min, B&W Aka: Life As a Couple; Life Together Summary In his old age, the writer Pierre Careau is alone
and has no one to inherit his wealth. He owes his fame and
wealth to his novel, entitled
La Vie à deux (a.k.a. Life
as a Couple), which he based on the relationships of four happily married
couples. He decides to leave his wealth to whichever of these couples
are still leading an unblemished married life, otherwise his wealth goes
to his publishing colleagues…
Review This multi-part film with an impressive star-studied cast
lacks the feel of a satisfying whole, but it is so full of magical little
moments that that hardly seems to matter. Written by Sacha Guitry,
a luminary of French cinema and a distinguished writer in his own right,
the film has some sparkling dialogue which is brought to life by some amazing
acting talent.
The best instances of this are Jean Marais, playing a conjurer who gets entrapped by a sex-starved society lady, and Gérard Philipe playing the valet who is ultimately the downfall of the same society lady. Pierre Brasseur, Edwige Feuillère and Louis de Funès, amongst others, also put in some memorable performances. After an impressive first half, the film does seem to slow down and lose its charm towards the end. Nonetheless, it is certainly worth seeing, if only for the thrill of viewing so many acting legends of French cinema in one film. © James Travers 2001 |
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