Summer Things (2002)
Two couple of friends, one very rich, the other almost homeless, decide to go on Holiday. Julie, a single mother, joins them too. Once at seaside, it starts a complicate love cross among them that will involve also a transsexual, a jealous brother, a Latin Lover and another nervous stressed couple. Not to mention about the daughter of one of them that is secretly in Chicago with one of her father's employees... At the end of the summer, all of them will join the same party...
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Lack of good storyline.
A story that's too fascinating to pass by...
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.
Let's face it: the people in this film of vacationing Frenchmen are often unpleasant, sometimes downright loathsome. And yet, I had a good time watching, owing to Michel Blanc's skill at keeping all the balls in the air. I don't know how many speaking parts there are, maybe 20, but the energy never flags because of the marvelous actors. Karin Viard is my favorite actress for comedy; here she is wonderful as the frustrated wife of Podalydès trying to scrimp through a holiday that their finances really don't allow. The scene of Podalydès standing on the cliff, with Rampling quietly trying to buck him up, Ulliel crouched below, his tryst with Mélanie Laurent interrupted, and Viard gabbing away unwittingly with her friends until her husband jumps is a comic masterpiece.Carole Bouquet is another favorite of mine, since she stole Bunuel's last picture Cet obscur objet du désir over 30 years ago. She too is great in comedy--here she is saddled with the most jealous husband in recent film memory (go back to François Cluzet's harassing of Emmanuelle Béart in L'enfer). Blanc keeps yelling at her, accusing her of infidelities, and she grimly makes the best of it, helped by her new-found friends Rampling and Viard. As I said at the outset, sometimes the characters do unpleasant things, but you don't get the feeling that the deck is stacked against them.
"Embrassez" has traces of Woody Allen and some others from the old same soft comedy, it will sure satisfy those who are looking for a movie that make them smile. That's the purpose of Michael Blanc and I think he achieved his objective.Rich and mature people that do not know what to do with their lives, sick of everything and of everyone. Jelaousy, infidelity, intrigue and a thousand misunderstandings. If you got all those ingredients, then nothing can possibly go wrong. If also you got actors such as Dutronc, Rampling or Bouquet... well, mission accomplished!! *My rate: 7/10
this is not typically french as i've read in some other comments. the film is based on a british book ....it's a very acid and cynic satire of how some people's lives are laced with lies ...it has this kind of witty bitter humour that will make it a very enjoyable movie, and i'm going to buy the book to see if there are any notable differences..thank you for your attention !
subtle, refined, typically french, investigating human relations in a more complex manner, but all with a smile on your face (a smile ?, no, sorry, A BIG LAUGH !).LAUGHING and LAUGHING and LAUGHING !!!VERY ORIGINAL (again - typically french)If you like french movies you MUST see it. If not ... run away.