C'est pas tout à fait la vie dont j'avais rêvé-Theater (Cannes)

C'est pas tout à fait la vie dont j'avais rêvé (2005), Dir. Michel Piccoli

I believe that the title of this film translates to something like "Not Exactly the Life I Expected". Definitely rings true. Anyway, I was excited to see this new film directed by celebrated French actor Michel Piccoli, as his four or five directing forays are all films I have never seen. Most likely this one will never make it to the US, which is very sad.

At only 75 minutes, the film is a quick romp through the life of a man and his relationships with his wife and his mistress. A vaudevillian type story, with elements derived from stage plays, it reminds one of another time, even though it is a contemporary film. It is whimsical in its treatment of the characters, without judgement, pity, or any of the other trappings that seem to come from extramarital affairs. Piccoli maintains this tone throughout the film, painting a man with various eccentricities who needs both women, but for completely different reasons. We see him go through the same types of scenarios with each one, but with wildly varying outcomes. And while the staginess of the film would suggest a similar kind of humor, Piccoli chooses to sprinkle it around in different doses. Some is symbolically funny, like the man dressing up in a lion skin as a form of foreplay, while other times it is more subtle, like the wife wearing a drab dress that has the same pattern as the wallpaper. The funny thing is, you don't even notice it until near the end of the scene.

Much of the content of this film is communicated through metaphor, and I feel that I would get even more from it upon a second viewing. Nevertheless, it is a fun and eccentric romp through a relationship triangle.