Memorable, crazy movie

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

I came here to add my rating when I saw there's a reviewer who gave it 1 star. I respect but fully disagree with that rating. First the acting is great all around including the children. Second, the pace is fast, not a boring moment which is rare for a romantic comedy. And third, I laughed out loud several times and I'm Latin American. I've watched hundreds of comedies, both film and TV, and few have made laugh out loud. I even debated if give it 8 only for this reason. Ok, it's not 8 stars, but this film will be part of my "comfort food" films collection, which are movies I re-watch when not in a mood to put my brain to work. Definitely a good addition.

This film is only for those who are entertained by "comedian" Gad Elmaleh. He takes up most of the time. Sophie only appears once in a while (another good pay-check for her, though). Gad's type of slapstick humor is really unbearable: the frenetic piano playing, the continuous narcissistic showmanship, the tired old battle of the sexes quips, and his buddies and their clique-y in-crowd--jokes - that must be witnessed by all else around them, because really the joke is on every one else, for paying even a smidgen of attention to these unpleasant creatures. Who wouldn't wanna be part of this social circle, right? Not!Decor wise it's all a big chaos as well. The only places of relief are the outside Paris exteriors.Moreover this film is pure propaganda for everything that's wrong with France these days. Absolute conformism to hierarchic capitalism is portrayed as completely normal (even desirable); proposing a further degeneration of the three basic principles of French culture: liberty, fraternity, and equality. The characters think nothing of it, that they have to subject themselves to humiliation and maltreatment from "powerful" people (for example the ape like record company director barking at Gad through Skype - like an African despot). To an immigrant like, Elmaleh, this role reversal might be hilarious, but the native French people are fed up with this degeneracy. Me and my buddies wil bring your once civilised country down, and I'm gonna rub your faces in it. That is the main purpose of the film, I got it loud and clear, from picking up on all the subliminal messages mockingly thrust in my face as "comedy."This product is reprehensible on all levels.

Sophie Marceau is still able to enchant men (and probably some women too along the way). Apart from her obvious good looks she's also a good actress, which she has proved in other movies as well (one with Monica Belucci comes to mind though I forgot the title). And while she's not the lead role here, she is second to the man with issues. The good thing is, her character is not just some woman, but is fully fleshed out as well.While our main character has obvious issues, we still root for him. Not all his moves might feel logic, but life does take crazy turns sometimes. His "fear" is a bit underplayed I guess, but that is not really that bad a thing. Actually you might credit the movie for not making it a bigger issue. You will see where this is going, but that doesn't take the fun of getting there.

James Huth's film which he also wrote with Sonja Shillito celebrates Hollywood cinema. It references classics like Casablanca, Singin In the Rain and West Side Story but plays more like Moonstruck and Notting Hill for its melding of romance and slapstick humor. Even the soundtrack features largely soulful American music. It's glitzy, formulaic and contrived but helped by two charismatic performers has enough charm to make it a crowd pleaser.The film begins with Sacha Keller (Gad Elmaleh), a musician playing at a jazz bar, and picking up girls for one night stands. He has everything a single man would want until he bumps into Charlotte (Sophie Marceau) and before long these two opposites are in bed and in love. This is the type of film where the girl hails a taxi and get drenched as the car drives by a huge puddle of water or falls down a flight of stairs simply to get up and walk away with minor bruises. The films commitment to slapstick is at times grating but more often charmingly old fashioned. Complications in the relationship occur with the revelation that Charlotte has three children from two failed marriages. But let's face it not every single mother looks like Sophie Marceau and soon Sacha is experiencing the joys of parenthood. The kids are not too cute and obnoxious which is a blessing. The youngest boy throws up and complains "I don't like you." The older girl recruits Sacha to help her with her mathematics homework. That and two ex's one played by the terrific François Berléand in strong ruthless mode. After the trial and tribulations of struggling to make it work you know these two are meant to be together because they each have posters of Casablanca in their bedrooms.Huth directs with a light touch and the first hour is the best. He wraps it all up nicely, it's better than most of the product coming out of the American studios these days. Elmaleh and Marceau make it work; they have the chemistry to carry off the romance and comedy with aplomb. The soundtrack is a highlight blending the music of Etta James and Stephanie Mills. James belting out A Sunday Kind of Love is glorious.