Mariages! (2004)

On the day of the wedding of Johanna and Benjamin, her mother Gabrielle has carefully planned all the details to welcome family and guests in her house in the country and have an ... See full summary »

Director:

Valérie Guignabodet

Writer:

Valérie Guignabodet

Stars:

Mathilde Seigner, Jean Dujardin, Miou-Miou

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mathilde Seigner	...	Valentine
Jean Dujardin	...	Alex
Miou-Miou	...	Gabrielle
Didier Bezace	...	Pierre
Lio	...	Micky
Antoine Duléry	...	Hugo
Chloé Lambert	...	Johanna
Alexis Loret	...	Benjamin
Catherine Allégret	...	Chantal Dupré
Michel Lagueyrie	...	Jacques Dupré
Beata Nilska	...	Ingrid, la cantatrice
Marianne Groves	...	La cousine de Ben
Frédéric Maranber	...	Le cousin de Ben
Michel Dussarat	...	Roberta, le travesti
Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus	...	Le curé

Storyline

On the day of the wedding of Johanna and Benjamin, her mother Gabrielle has carefully planned all the details to welcome family and guests in her house in the country and have an unforgettable ceremony. Benjamin does not recall in the morning his bachelor party with his best man Alex, who is in crisis in the relationship with his wife Valentine. She is having a secret affair with their friend, the wolf Dr. Hugo, who is married with the sweet Micky. When Valentine tells Alex that she wants the divorce, he becomes upset and disturbed, drinking a lot. During the presentation of the travesty Roberta, who had just arrived in the party to bring the wedding rings lost in the bachelor party in the cabaret where she works, Alex speeches disclosing a series of revelations in the relationships of his acquaintances and friends.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 April 2004 (France)

Also Known As:

Casos e Casamentos

Filming Locations:

Ardèche, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$41,335 (Belgium) (14 May 2004)

Gross:

$12,279,626 (Europe) (28 May 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pan Européenne Production, StudioCanal, France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Caché (Hidden) (2005)

User Reviews

Up to Dogma standard

'Mariages!' resembles 'Festen', with its observance of the dramatic unities, absence of special effects and minimal musical score. It upsets family values just as much, with plenty of wry wit from that women's point of view that is so refreshing in today's cinema. Yes, the male characters are all weak and unadmirable, and the women are all finding strength and freedom, but we are getting so used to that these days that it is hardly noticeable any more. "Another coward, like all men", says the Mathilde Seignet character, and that's it for the men in this movie. The story arc is well maintained, and the climax, for once, actually works, stitching it up nicely in the rom-com genre. There are passages where the picture almost doesn't work. At the start, we are not sure whether it is a wedding or a wedding rehearsal. The transvestite character almost doesn't fit in. But in the end, after the whole of adult society has been torn to bits, everything fits together again with a bit of philosophy. A satisfying piece of French film-making that miraculously avoids explicit sex.