A FRIENDLY TALE/ LE BONHEUR DES UNS…
France, 2020, 104 minutes, Colour.
Berenice Bejo, Vincent Cassel, François Damiens, Florence Foresti.
Directed by Daniel Cohen.
A French satiric film. The English title sounds rather genial. The French title implies rivalry, the happiness of one at the expense of another…
This is a film about four friends. However, the focus is on Lea, played by the always sympathetic Berenice Bejo (A Separation, The Movie Teller). She seems a simple, nice kind of person, happily working in the department store, advising customers about dresses, possibly in line for promotion. However, she is observant, takes notes, creates stories in her mind, eventually writing them down – to great success, her becoming a celebrated author and prolifically producing books. And she remains nice throughout.
But, her best friend, played by Florence Foresti, becomes more and more jealous, badmouthing her friend, she herself trying to write but unable, trying different areas to achieve, finally deciding on marathon running. On the other hand, her husband, played by François Damiens, is much more friendly, his wife encouraging him to explore all kinds of possibilities from art, to music, but he is not being particularly successful.
The other difficult character is Lea’s husband, played by Vincent Cassel in a role rather more different from those he usually plays. He is a believer in the man as the head of the household, works in Vietnam aluminium company and is ambitious, being passed over. However, he gradually comes over to his wife’s point of view, a bit uncomfortable with her growing wealth, comfortable apartment (which her best friend is very jealous of).
The tone is set for the film in a long opening sequence where the four are at a restaurant and a lot of time is spent on Lea having a desert, the other is declining, changing their minds, different possibilities, an exasperated waiter. And, to bring this satiric perspective to an end, a repeat of the restaurant situation and choices.
- The French title, happiness at the expense of others…? The English title and the emphasis on friendship, ironies?
- The French setting, the city, couples and homes, meeting places, restaurants? The publishing world, book signings and tours? The aluminium firm? Work, offices and training, exhibitions? The musical score?
- The focus on the four characters and their interactions? Friends, tensions, rivalries, insecurities, success?
- The introduction to the characters, Lea and Marc, we’re working in the shop and happy, Marc and his ambitions, single-minded, the aluminium company? Comparisons with Francis and Karine? Their marriage, her hopes, his hobbies?
- The opening and closing with scenes in the restaurant, the nature of the friendships, longtime friendships, interactions, humour? The long process of whether to have desert or not, the various combinations strung out, Lea and her reactions? And the waiter and his waiting?
- Lea’s story, her working at the store, the boss and the possibility of promotion, her meeting customers, the woman asking advice about the dress, her giving advice, putting hold, to return the next week, reaction of the boss and loss of custom, the woman returning and buying more clothes? Is recommending her to manage a store? Her lunch, observing people, imagining their stories? Karine joining her, the character of the lady in blue? Lea, her writing, diffident, sending the manuscript, the positive reactions? Audiences losing his sense of real-time, the publication, success, though the books, publications, the reviews, the signings? The effect on her?
- Marc’s story, the marriage, the dominant male, his expectations, the subservient wife, at work, his ambitions, passed over, his enthusiasm for his work and for aluminium, the secretary? The restaurant, controlling Lea? The reaction to her success? Observing, the discussions with the friends, the separation, his motivations? The book signing, his love for Lea, reconciling? The new house and its comfort? His discovering his love for Lea?
- Karine’s story, longtime friendship, comfortable life, relationship with Francis, the meals, her envy of Lear, trying to write a story, not getting anywhere? Her self-confidence? Who supported Francis and his hobbies? Her reaction to Lea’s success, becoming more and more jealous, conversations, insinuations, criticisms, phone calls? The change of hobby, running, obsessive, sequences of running, Francis cheering her on, going to the dinner, her envy of the comfortable house, leaving? And the final dinner and the choices about desert, and the patient waiter?
- Francis and his story, devoted husband, wanting to be a composer, Karine urging him on, some compositions, moving to painting, moving to sculpture, the exhibition the social? Going to train with bonsai? His lack of success? His more simple approach, friendship?
- The background of the world of publishing, the editors, the managers, tours, business, success?
- And the title seen in retrospect of the whole film?
