Life of Riley (2014)

In the midst of rehearsals for a new play, amateur dramatics proponents Colin and Kathryn receive the shattering news that their friend George is fatally ill and only has a few months to live.

Director:

Alain Resnais

Writers:

Alan Ayckbourn (play), Laurent Herbiet (adaptation)

Stars:

Sabine Azéma, Sandrine Kiberlain, Caroline Silhol

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Sabine Azéma	...	Kathryn
Sandrine Kiberlain	...	Monica
Caroline Silhol	...	Tamara (as Caroline Sihol)
André Dussollier	...	Simeon
Hippolyte Girardot	...	Colin
Michel Vuillermoz	...	Jack
Alba Gaïa Bellugi	...	Tilly (as Alba Gaïa Kraghede Bellugi)
Gérard Lartigau	...	Le révérend (voice)

Storyline

In the midst of rehearsals for a new play, amateur dramatics proponents Colin and Kathryn receive the shattering news that their friend George is fatally ill and only has a few months to live.

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Plot Keywords:

yorkshire england | throwing a pillow | woodpile | bickering | cellular phone | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

26 March 2014 (France)

Also Known As:

Life of Riley

Filming Locations:

Studios de Paris, La Cité du Cinéma, Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

F Comme Film, France 2 Cinéma, Solivagus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The characters are rehearsing "Relatively Speaking," an early play by Alan Ayckbourn, who wrote the play that the film is based on.

User Reviews

Swansong from French Director Alain Resnais in an Aykbourn adaptation.

Resnais brought us the likes of 'Hiroshima Mon Amour' and has collaborated with Alan Aykbourn in the past. Here he takes Aykbourn's very English play – sets it in Yorkshire and does it in French. It is about three couples who are all am dram enthusiasts. They are rehearsing a play and find out that a mutual friend – George – is terminally ill and has only mere months to live.

They decide the play must go on but they will all rally around for George – whom they all have great affection for. The play unravels the motivations of all the players in a slow reveal that can be amusing and at times stylistically 'stagey'. It is also filmed on artificial sets to give the added feeling of being am dram and an actual play which will please or annoy depending on your taste. Thespians will appreciate the homage to the theatre.

The performances were all good, and the story is fine, but I felt it dragged a bit in parts, and it is only 109 minutes long. Still this is a fine swan song for Resnais who we sadly lost after he made this film. He was a marvellous talent of the French film industry and will be very much missed – if you are a fan of his work then I am sure you will not be disappointed in this – his last film.