La vérité ou presque (2007)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Sam Karmann

Writers:

Stephen McCauley (novel) and
Jérôme Beaujour (writer)

Release Date:

12 September 2007 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Infidelity | Television | Jazz Singer | Lyon France | Extramarital Affair

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Karin Viard	...	Anne
André Dussollier	...	Vincent
François Cluzet	...	Marc
Brigitte Catillon	...	Rose-Marie
Julie Delarme	...	Caroline
Sam Karmann	...	Thomas
Liliane Rovère	...	Liliane
Antonio Interlandi	...	Lucas
Patrick Zimmermann	...	Pierre
Valentin Traversi	...	Bernard
Cécile Cuignet	...	Mélanie (as Céline Quignet)
Ysmahane Yaqini	...	Naima
Mathieu Besnier	...	Tom
Brigitte Aubry	...	Simone
Titouan Morand	...	Gérald

Also Known As:

True Enough (International: English title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Filming Locations:

Lyon, Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France

Company:

Les Films A4

Great French film that doesn't try to accomplish too much!

Its Jazzy music, running through the film, sets the tone for quick witted dialogue, full of turns, conversations that shouldn't have been heard, but meant a lot, and basically, dramas from couples which nevertheless love each other. As Vincent, obviously the character the director mostly likes, says near the end: "all important stories are love stories. But that doesn't mean they are all 'easy going'" I'm a fan of Karin Viard. She is constantly on the edge during the trip, but seems to learn something from the experience. She's very expressive, any lesser actress wouldn't be convincing at her, yes, hysterical moodiness. She's beautiful, but the film builds on that image a bit too much to my taste.

François Cluzet's Marc is a great counterbalance to all this "feeble humanists". He's mean, self centered, and incapable of empathy. I liked his "successful" character, specially after seeing him doing "Antoine", the exact opposite "a childish depressive and broke 'crosswords writer' for a local magazine" with the best G. Dépardieu at Les Apprentis (1995).

Rose-Marie and Caroline are fine, but I would have liked a bit more of "character development" for both.

Overall, I loved this movie, felt really well in the end (not the usual case for French films :)) and would definitely watch it again to get the subtle dialogue, the "lapsus" (Anne always "breaking a bottle") and the sheer enjoyment of two lovable characters who couldn't be more difficult. The tenderness scene at the fireplace while stranded in the middle of nowhere has a refinement rarely seen these days where sex scenes are used when there's nothing to say.

Shot at Lyon, and the city is referred at -mostly by Anne- about 8 times.