“A happy complexity. » Funny title for the book written, in the film “Trois amis”, Thomas (Damien Bonnard), French teacher, author in his spare time. One of these sensitive intellectuals, vaguely disarmed in the face of reality, that director Emmanuel Mouret likes to place at the heart of his stories, like Woody Allen.
The formula, “happy complexity”, applies well to his approach as a filmmaker. For twenty-five years, he has explored with accuracy and fantasy the oscillations of the feeling of love. We find, in this twelfth feature film, this art of balance between lightness and depth.
Originally, this acid comedy was to be called “An Honest Woman”. The story interweaves the sentimental lives of three friends, teachers at the same Lyon college, but one of them occupies the center of this narrative web: Joan (formidable India Hair), who suffers terribly from no longer loving her husband, the touching and impeccable Victor (Vincent Macaigne).
The comedy of happiness
The desire is lost. The bond, over the years, disintegrated. What to do? Joan continues to play the comedy of happiness, but she is internally consumed by guilt, feels dishonest towards her companion. And isn't life too short to settle for a relationship without passion, without intensity?
Her friend, Alice (Camille Cottin), has long since given up on these outbursts that she considers adolescent, and is happy about it. She is also no longer in love with her husband Eric (Grégoire Ludig). Such is existence. Their relationship seems no less solid, cemented by a feeling undoubtedly close to friendship.
It's a pleasure to enter into this round of impulses, desires, cases of conscience
In this ensemble film, Alice embodies a form of lucidity. She prefers harmony, stability, the tacit acceptance of certain deviations from the marital pact, to the din of absolute love. But she is unaware that Eric is madly in love with his friend Rebecca (Sara Forestier), who has chosen celibacy and freedom. The third face of this trio of endearing women.
Joan (ndia Hair) and the impeccable Victor (Vincent Macaigne).
Pascal Chantier
Marivaux among the bobos
This is the starting equation, the terms of which will constantly, over two hours, evolve, according to encounters, combinations, questions, little lies and big dilemmas… Eternal mischief, you will think, transposed into a XXIe bobo century? Yes, but it is a pleasure to enter into this round of impulses, desires, cases of conscience, because Emmanuel Mouret restores them in a lively, elegant staging, in tune with the sonatas which weave the musical band.
He credits his characters with a certain nobility. They, in this case, never descend into pettiness or indifference to others. Everyone strives not to do harm, even when affects and situations are conducive to hurting. Emmanuel Mouret succeeds in taking a look at romantic torments that is both lucid and gentle. Prowess! He unravels the pretenses without weakness, but with tenderness. Such a delicate filmmaker is a reliable friend for the spectators.
“Three friends”, by Emmanuel Mouret. Duration: 1 hour 57 minutes. Theatrical release on Wednesday, November 6.
