Times Have Been Better

In this well-made coming out story we live through the reactions of the parents more than the gay son and his younger brother.

The characters are all well realized and you come to care for them all. This has none of the sensationalism which many coming out stories have, in fact it's more about a marriage under stress than a true coming-out story.

The story is very French in the way that its told and I'm pretty certain that this was filmed in the same house as Crustacés et coquillages (2005) another French film that touched on some of the same issues in a less serious way.

While this film lacked the moments of epiphany and/or life changing scenes that I require to give a film a 9 or a 10 It's well worth the viewing time and I highly recommend it. I'll most likely see this one again.

Two virtues are the definiting ones about this film. The first, the gentle manner to explore a delicate subject. The parents front to the coming up of their very promissing elder son. Their reactions, the influence of news to the relation between them and the others. The second virtue , the french air, making entire story more than charming. A nice story, admirable acting, smart dialogue and the feeling about acceptance, expectations and love . So, just beautiful, in profound sense , touching and seductive crafted.

The quality of this French tele-movie is so high that I expected it to have been one which received cinematic release.

The English subtitles (on the DVD) are very well crafted and made enjoying the film to the utmost a breeze - stirring every emotion, including plenty of out-loud laughter, and a few tears.

The 24 minute "behind the scenes" extra feature does a great job with supplementary information - in the main part reinforcing my own understanding and appreciation of the filmmakers' fully realised intentions.

I deeply cared about these characters, I loved how their stories evolved. As the writer states, it's not a guide to coming out - but it is certainly an ideal film for fostering awareness of the struggle faced even by "open minded" parents who have discovered that their envisioned future for their child will be needing some radical re-evaluation.

As close to perfect as any film I've seen and fully deserving ten stars.

TIMES HAVE BEEN BETTER (Le Ciel sur la tête) is a polished little French 'made for television' film that holds its own on every level in the theater and on DVD. The issues it tackles are many, not just the main topic of coming out to a family. This is one of the better, more fully rounded examinations of the contemporary family in recent years. Based on a story and screenplay by Nicholas Mercier and directed by Régis Musset, this is a sophisticated comedy with some sensitive dramatic overtones presented by a fine cast and superb production values.

Jérémy (Arnaud Binard) is the wholly successful business executive son of Rosine (the amazingly fine actress Charlotte de Turckheim) and Guy (Bernard Le Coq) and big brother to Robin (Olivier Guéritée). When he pays a surprise visit to his home for an impromptu brunch, his family is in fine spirits until the reason for the surprise visit is made known: Jérémy announces to his parents that he is gay and though Robin has known this fact for some time and Rosine has suspected it, the news hits the family unit by storm. Jérémy returns to Paris to his partner Marc (Pierre Deny) and while relieved that he can now live his life in the open, Jérémy frets about the trauma to his family unit. Robin gathers the courage to rebel against going to college in favor of following his dream of being involved with cinema, Guy goes into a true depression, and Rosine decides to face the new life of her son, traveling to Paris to meet her son's home and friends and fresh outlook. While in Paris Rosine discovers her own suppressed needs and with the courage Jérémy has shown, she is able to return to her home an altered person.

The cast is very attractive and very fine and story flows so naturally, completely without cliché, that the movie becomes more a study of human behavior than of a routine 'coming out' movie. Well worth the viewer's time. In French with English subtitles. Grady Harp