writers_reign This is Daniele Thompson's fourth film as director and co-writer (she writes with son, Christopher) and she has yet to disappoint me unlike the other posters here who all had reservations. The only reservations I have are for her next movie and I want a ringside seat. She has, of course, been writing screenplays for years and so has nothing to learn about the Human Condition; she also has a flair for assembling great casts and then getting them to deliver the finest ensemble acting around as La Buche, Fauteuils d'orchestre and now this movie prove so well. She's also able to do much smaller films too as her second stint and writer-director, Decolage Horaire, illustrated but she seems to revel in large ensemble pieces and that's jake with me. I was particularly delighted to find the two Marinas of current French cinema, Fois and Hands, together in one movie, I have enjoyed them individually for years and it's especially gratifying to see Ms Fois, who has been specializing in more dramatic roles of late, returning to the lighter stuff she does so well (Je m'en sens pas belle) and equally great to see some wonderful scenes between Pierre Arditti and Patrick Chesnais. Over and above the film itself is the moment in the 'Making Of' extra with the DVD when Thompson leads Michele Morgan, then in her 90th year, onto the set. Morgan lived with Thompson's father, Gerard Oury for the last 46 years of his life but she is as much a part of French Cinema as Raimu, Arletty, and all the other icons and her visit certainly brought a tear to my eye. Chalk up another delicious bauble to Ms Thompson.

toast-15 The story follows several couples from the 21st of June of one year to the next. They are all gathered, bravely disguising their unhappiness, around a dinner table trying to make small talk. Text messages are surreptitiously viewed or sent under the table like naughty children in class while other messages from the more desperate are lobbed verbally across the table for all to hear. Some find it amusing but one person sees it as a call for help and answers it with a kiss when they find themselves alone later in the evening. A romance ensues even though both are married. A very successful divorce lawyer is wooed into joining another lawyer's firm. Affairs meant to be hidden are exposed. A prayer is answered with an accident. One couple ends up divorced while another stays together. What one person understands as marital bliss another may take as entrapment. Most end happily, but not all. This film could have been improved had the focus been on one or two characters with the rest of the cast in supporting roles. Instead, with no focus, it did not develop beyond a superficial tone. The characters of Piotr (Dany Boon) and Sarah (Emmanuelle Seigner) were compelling in that they were two creative types with spouses married to their work, but with so little screen time, not enough was made of the potential.

d_art In this French comedy directed by Danièle Thompson and written by Danièle Thompson and Christopher Thompson, the story centers around a summer dinner party where ten acquaintances come together for food, wine, and friendship, while trying to cover up their own personal troubles. Consisting of mostly middle aged couples, if they are not having affairs, they are dissatisfied with their life, or going through family issues. With an all-star ensemble cast from France, the characters each have their own story which are intertwined with one another.I admit I'm generally turned off by "comedies" involving infidelity. There are always some dislikeable characters, the "comedy" isn't really funny, and rarely have I ever seen a good ending. The poster for Change of Plans displayed multiple characters from the chest down playing footsies under a dinner table, which reminded me of a typical episode from Three's Company. Add to that, a film that boasts an "ensemble cast" usually suffers from a lack of focus and over-simplified storytelling. To add, this is a French film, whereas a subject like this is as typical as a British outdoor breakfast scene on PBS.Unexpectedly, though, I enjoyed this film. True, there's a typicality to the situations in this film, but it was well-executed. I appreciated the snappy dialogue, the character interactions, and the surprisingly poignant moments. Its wit is sharper than many films of this ilk. The characters react realistically. Dialogue drives this film more than the situations. Admittedly, the characters are relatively jaded and cynical, which adds to the humor. I found it interesting that the film isn't as interested in the affairs of the characters as much as it is about reconciliation. AdvertisementWhile the centerpiece of this film is the dinner party amongst a group of friends and colleagues, a good chunk of the film is shown in flashbacks, revealing back stories of many of the characters, as well as the relationships that develop after the party. We are told these middle-aged characters have children, but we never see them—perhaps it helps the film keep its focus. We are introduced to ML (Karin Viard), a divorce lawyer, who hosts the dinner party. The guests consist of her teacher Manuela (Blanca Li) from her flamenco class, her husband Piotr (Dany Boon), and her younger sister Juliette (Marina Hands), a costume designer who is dating a much older man Erwann (Patrick Chesnais). There's also the kitchen designer Jean-Louis (Laurent Stocker) who designed ML's new kitchen, oncologist Alain (Patrick Bruel) and his gynecologist wife, Melanie (Marina Fois), who secretly wants to end their marriage and run off with her lover. Attorney Lucas (Christopher Thompson) arrives to the party with his wife Sarah (Emmanuelle Seigner), who is Piotr's old college flame. An unexpected guest is ML's father, Henri (Pierre Arditi), who has had a strained relationship with Juliette ever since he had run off from the family.Thompson manages to keep the stories working together logically. When characters change, it's realistic. The film moves at a leisure pace, but is always interesting thanks to the film's characters, dialogue, and occasional poignant surprises. Admittedly, those who already have problems with talky French films with subtitles will not have their minds changed here. I enjoyed the zigzag table conversations and different topics that go off tangent. I liked how the film didn't try to be too comedic. There are some great emotional scenes, such as the ones between Henri and Juliette. The actors and actresses all bring fine performances. It's true that these are not stories I normally gravitate towards, but the film's little surprises, wit, and characters made the experience more than palatable.You can find more of my movie review updates on http://twitter.com/d_art

missmarmite Ten people meet on June 21st to have a dinner together, two of them inviting the other ones. No one really wants to go or meet the others although they are friends, they all have enough to do with their problems and would like to spend the evening in a different way. But they go, they smile at each other, they have nice chats and everybody is laughing and having fun. Then they go home, knowing they will meet up all again next year and everything will be the same.Not quite. Things have changed. Their relationships, their health, their self conscience. The code to open the door.Like in many French films, people talk a lot. That's what the French love to do and they love to do it openly, in real life as in films. But although there's lots of talk about, none of the ten main characters (plus the eleventh one which is the father of two protagonists, who are sisters) will probably stay with the viewer a longer time. With so many characters around, it's difficult to create deeper insights. Sometimes you wish for more background information, but the story is set at two evenings and you can only put so much into the film if you don't want to make it three hours long. The end is left somewhat open, which is okay, leaves you with your own imagination of what will happen next.Still, something is missing. I can't quite put my finger on it. I liked the actors, the dialogue is good and sometimes really funny, other scenes where a bit moody or more serious. That's life for you. But still... some ingredient was missing. It's a film you see and once it's digested, you probably will soon forget about it. And that is a pity. But I don't know what should have been different either. Any idea, anyone?PS: The recipe in the credits was a nice touch, though. Have to check whether I can find it somewhere again...