FILM: LITTLE WHITE LIES
Review By Duncan McLeod
Director: Guillaume Canet
Cast: François Cluzet, Marion Cotillard, Benoît Magimel, Gilles Lellouche, Jean Dujardin
Synopsis: A handful of old friends make some unexpected discoveries about one another in this comedy-drama from French writer and director Guillaume Canet. Eight friends who are settling into middle age have for years observed an annual tradition where they get together to enjoy some vacation time. However, fate has put a damper on this year’s gathering when one of the group, Ludo (Jean Dujardin), ends up in the hospital after an auto accident. His friends decide to go away together anyway, but Ludo’s troubles portend a week of difficult feelings and awkward situations. Max (Francois Cluzet), who is paying host this year at his summer home, is startled when Vincent (Benoit Magimel) comes out of the closet with his longtime infatuation with him, which comes as an unwelcome surprise to the married and very straight Max. Meanwhile, Marie (Marion Cotillard), Eric (Gilles Lellouche) and Antoine (Laurent Lafitte) are all dealing with various forms of romantic disappointment, and seemingly everyone has some skeleton in the closet that they’re hiding from their friends.
Review: Good things always start with a bang and that was exactly the case for LIES. This film could have perhaps been called COUPLES RETREAT and eradicated any memory of that that stupid American film we were all subjected to recently. It had it all. A chase scene, a punch up, sex, drugs and a tenuous link to Australia with rock band Jet appearing on the film’s soundtrack to bring the rock ‘n’ roll. Cotillard would certainly have been the main element that attracted international audiences and she anchored the film well. For this reviewer though she was not the star performer. The ensemble cast was well chosen and each character brought their own issues to the fold. It was certainly a film that was well balanced between comedy and drama which is not something often seen in American cinema.
Writer director Guillaume Canet has delivered a piece that is engaging, confronting and very honest. There are many plot threads here that make up the film. Canet has shown his skill in being able to control them and ultimately bring them together conclusively. This reviewer found himself physically comparing the actors on screen to American actors. Imagining the comparative actors in these roles sullied the film as their input would not have given LIES the gravitas it had.
François Cluzet as Max is a delight. His frustration at life fighting against him unfolds very charismatically on screen. He is the one who invites the group to his holiday home and when his best laid plans go awry so does the holiday and the film takes flight. His interactions with the other characters are certainly a large part of the films humour whereas Cotillard brings the drama. The rest of the ensemble work cohesively together with few that absolutely stand out (this is not a criticism it is a great compliment) the one exception is Gilles Lellouche who plays Eric. His performance displays both brutishness and tenderness in equal parts. There is a certain charisma about him that lights up the screen with his presence. The scenes with Eric and Cottilard’s Marie are steeped in sexual tension but are shown in a very friendly light-hearted way.
The use of English language music on the soundtrack was an odd decision. It would have made more sense to pick French language material, however perhaps choosing these tracks added to its international appeal. As mentioned above, Jet feature in the film as do some other well known acts including one of this reviewer’s favourites – Ben Harper. The use of diagetic and non-diagetic sound was well crafted as it added a further dimension to the film and injected a special element of expertise into the mix.
The main drawback about this feature is its length. At over 150 minutes it is longer than it should be. None of the scenes are useless however which is a great credit to Canet and his vision. This film will appeal to lovers of cinema that enjoy a good story and some weighty drama with a little shock value thrown in. If you’re like the Primate and don’t generally gravitate towards foreign cinema, make the effort with this. This is a film I’d certainly pay to see if informed about it prior. It will certainly surprise you, and perhaps make you examine your own friendships.
Your comments about the English language soundtrack is not as bizarre as you think. There is a current in French culture at the moment which is a sense of embarrassment about French culture and the belief that Anglo-culture (and everything… it entails including the language) is superior. This can be regarded as a counter movement away from French exceptionalism and it’s cultural hegemony (the belief that French is most superior culture), which is considered by some to be based on a set of unrealistic bourgeois values. Just a little insight into contemporary French attitudes