Bachelor Days Are Over (2011)
"Pourquoi tu pleures?" (original title)

Arnaud nicknamed "Cui Cui" no longer knows which way to look. He is about to marry Anna but he is not sure he really loves her. To make matters worse, he falls in love during the stag party... See full summary »

Director:

Katia Lewkowicz

Writers:

Katia Lewkowicz (scenario and dialogue), Marcia Romano (collaboration)

Stars:

Benjamin Biolay, Emmanuelle Devos, Nicole Garcia

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Benjamin Biolay	...	Arnaud, dit Cui-Cui
Emmanuelle Devos	...	Cécile, dite Coin-Coin
Nicole Garcia	...	Claude, la mère
Valérie Donzelli	...	Anna
Sarah Adler	...	Léa
Eric Lartigau	...	Paco
Rodolphe Dana	...	Eric
Jean-Noël Cnockaert	...	Jean-Noël
Nadir Legrand	...	Laurent
Hana Laszlo	...	Mathila, la mère d'Anna (as Hana Laslo)
Haim Bouzaglo	...	Haim, le père d'Anna
Niseema Theillaud	...	Josy (as Niseema)
Marc Bodnar	...	Le chef de chantier
Lolita Offenstein	...	La fille de Paco
Daphné Dugois	...	Poppy

Storyline

Arnaud nicknamed "Cui Cui" no longer knows which way to look. He is about to marry Anna but he is not sure he really loves her. To make matters worse, he falls in love during the stag party he has with his friends. And Léa, a nightclub singer, is obviously the woman of his dreams. What to do? Cancel the wedding and create a scandal but be able to live with a woman he loves truly and loves him in return? Or be a good boy and not disappoint the company but say farewell to happiness. For four days, Arnaud goes to and fro aimlessly between Anna and Léa, between his eccentric sister and his self-centered mother, between hope and depression.

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Plot Keywords:

marriage | brother sister relationship | friendship | paris france | apartment | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

15 June 2011 (France)

Also Known As:

Bachelor Days Are Over

Filming Locations:

47 rue de la Goutte d'Or, Paris 18, Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Panorama Films, LGM Productions, Le Pacte

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 126417 delivered on 25-5-2011.

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Soundtracks

"L'homme de ma vie"
"Written by Benjamin Biolay
Performed by Sarah Adler

User Reviews

Stylish approach of an oft-told story

This is hardly the first time such a story (the bridegroom falling in love just before the wedding ceremony) has been told, so no big shock or even surprise can be expected from "Pourquoi tu pleures?" on that score. And yet how come Katia Lewkowicz's first feature film, far from being trite and predictable, sounds different? The answer may lie in the unusual treatment given to the story by the writer-director. Neither a sugary Hollywood-like romcom nor a standard French sentimental psychological film, "Pourquoi tu pleures ?" chooses to plunge the audience into a troubled mind, that of its "hero", a thirty-five-year old man wavering at a key crossroads of his life: should he let the marriage preparations proceed and run their course (there are a lot of guests, many on the bride's side coming all the way from Israel) and marry Anna, a young woman he is not sure to be really in love with), or give a kick in the anthill and create a scandal by choosing true love with Léa, a nightclub singer he has just met. More than the situation itself, it is actually its subjective approach that makes it worthwhile. By being put in the main protagonist's head the viewers become Arnaud and see the facts only through HIS eyes and for a limited time (the four days leading to the wedding ceremony). They will not know everything about him, owing to the fact that Arnaud does not keep saying to himself "I am this or I like that". For instance, Arnaud does not work during these four days : is he on the dole or has he taken a few days off? Another example: he and Anna, his fiancée, do not seem particularly attracted to each other ; why ? And why has Anna disappeared without a trace only to reappear two days before D-day? Arnaud has or does not have the answers, but he does not speak to himself, so you will not know. A bit frustrating in the first place, the device finally proves fruitful as it adds to an impression of true insight, which makes the movie more valuable than if it was told plainly with all the details. "Pourquoi tu pleures" is a rare example mental wandering as experienced by the mental wanderer himself. Arnaud, the lost young man is ideally played by songwriter-singer Benjamin Biolay, whose slightly soft face and look are in perfect accordance with the character). Another quality of that film is that while freewheeling Arnaud meets a bunch of colorful characters embodied by excellent actors such as Emmanuelle Devos (hilarious as Arnaud's eccentric sister), Valérie Donzelli (a very intriguing fiancée) and Nicole Garcia (irresistible in the role of Arnaud's whimsical childish self-centered mother). On a more traditional note, Katia Lewkowicz first feature also works fine: the director indeed manages to build up and maintain suspense right to the last minute: you really cannot guess what Arnaud will end up doing, which guarantees a powerful ending, whatever his option. Quite a good first film, directed talentedly by a demanding artist who refuses to round up the usual clichés. Her next opus is expected with interest.