Changing Times (2004)

Traveling from France to Tangiers, a man looks to reunite with his former love, though their romance ended some 30 years earlier.

Director:

André Téchiné

Writers:

André Téchiné (scenario), Laurent Guyot (scenario)

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Gilbert Melki

5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Cécile
Gérard Depardieu	...	Antoine Lavau
Gilbert Melki	...	Natan
Malik Zidi	...	Sami
Lubna Azabal	...	Nadia / Aïcha
Tanya Lopert	...	Rachel Meyer
Nabila Baraka	...	Nabila
Idir Elomri	...	Saïd
Nadem Rachati	...	Bilal
Jabir Elomri	...	Saïd
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christophe Freudiger	...	Joueur du casino
Hicham Ibrahimi	...	Réceptionniste
Bouchaïd Kidi	...	Le bijoutier
Stéphane Rouabah	...	Chauffeur d'Antoine

Storyline

Connections and personality: France and Morocco, sisters, mothers and sons, husbands and lovers. Antoine arranges a job in Tangiers so he can reconnect to Cécile, his first love, unseen for 30 years. Sami, her son, comes from Paris with his friend Nadia and her son to see his mother and his Moroccan boyfriend. Nadia wants to see Aïcha, her twin, a devout Muslim unwilling to see her pill-popping sister. Antoine harbors romantic fantasies; Cécile lives in the real world of an empty marriage to Natan, a Jewish doctor who's broke, drinks too much, and wants to move back to Casablanca. Cécile is a follower. Dogs and mud present dangers, as does complaisance. Will the earth move?

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Plot Keywords:

male frontal nudity | male rear nudity | twin | marriage | morocco | 

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Taglines:

Un premier amour peut-il devenir un dernier amour? (Can a first love become a last love?)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

Gemini Films / 1000 Films [France]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

15 December 2004 (France)

Also Known As:

Changing Times

Filming Locations:

Ibn Batouta International Airport, Tangiers, Tangier-Tétouan, Morocco

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,702, 16 July 2006

Gross USA:

$545,255

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,178,714

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gemini Films, France 2 Cinéma, Centre National du Cinéma et de L'image Animée (CNC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 100 min (IFC library print)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was restored in 2018 by Eclair with support from Arte France and The Bureau.

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Soundtracks

Suite in Change 1,2,3
Written by Juliette Garrigues
Editions Sforzando / Sirocco

User Reviews

A let-down

What a let-down!! With a renowned director and two of the biggest French stars, you could expect at least a good movie, if not a masterpiece. But the result is a shamble: the film tells of the undying love of Gérard Depardiieu for Catherine Deneuve, as they were lovers but parted some 30 years before. But the reason of the split is not explained: on the contrary, Deneuve confesses to her assistant and good friend that she was madly in love with Depardieu, both sexually and affectively … So you don't understand. Add an unfaithful husband who does not care a hoot any longer for Deneuve… you cannot expect to fulfill a 100 minute-movie with so thin a story. So they create useless roles ( the AC/DC son of Deneuve, his wife and his son, and his lover, as well as the wife's twin sister) and scenes (Depardieu's attempt at black magic, the dogs attacking Deneuve's son) . But they are uninteresting (when not laughable) and leave you cold… And if Depardieu is rather good, - showing some aspects of his former talent before he agreed to make any and every indifferent or bad films for amassing pots of money -, Deneuve appears unconcerned, showing no sincerity in her performance. I give it a 4, feeling generous ..