User Reviews

Aging Victor is down on his luck: he's unemployed and he has been kicked out of his own home as his wife has left him for his former boss, the man who fired him. Then he is offered a chance to recreate a moment in time and he chooses the moment in 1974 when he and his wife first met.

An interesting, entertaining and emotional film. Great in its application of nostalgia and our desires to relive our fondest moments. The central plot is quite basic and ends fairly predictably, though emotionally. However, some of the sub-plots are quite interesting, especially the Antoine-Margot-Victor relationship. There's also some very funny moments: the assistant director gets some great scenes and one-liners.

Not always engaging though. The plot does seem unfocused at times and some scenes and sub-plots go nowhere.

Can't fault the casting: the big names, Daniel Auteuil and Fanny Ardant, are great and nobody puts a foot wrong. Doria Tillier, as Margot, steals the show though.

La Belle Époque poses the interesting question of which moment of your life you'd want to relive (if any). Victor Drumond (Daniel Auteuil), an aging cartoonist with a failing marriage with his wife Marianne (the elegant Fanny Ardant), definitely has one.. one where he first met the love of his life (Marianne, of course!). When Victor gets chucked out of their apartment one night by Marianne, he decides to make use of the voucher offered by his son to "return to his glorious '70s". This is made possible by Antoine (a childhood friend of his son's), who along with a bunch of sophisticated actors and authentic aesthetics (akin to elaborately done film sets), offers a service to let people relive their happiest moment(s).

Antoine (Canet) is going through a relationship struggle with Margot (a tough-to-take-eyes-off Doria Tillier), one of his actresses. When Margot is cast to play the role of Marianne in Victor's moment re-enactment (set in a cafe in Lyon, 1974), things slowly spiral out of control. Victor can't help but fall in love with this beautiful, trailblazing lady (who improvises her lines and situations) for real. In her, he sees traits of his wife, but with unique texturing of her own. As days progress, Victor finds that he's able to draw (i.e. create art) again.

Nicolas Bedos strongly projects how art is one of the few things that can stand the test of time - sometimes, even love tends to take a backseat. He also leaves a heartwarming message (for everyone who's been in love at some point) in the form of the climax scene. It's a nostalgia-filled ride too, into an imagined version of the 70s. Victor casually comments on the times when people used to smoke like they owned chimney lungs and notice other people passing by instead of staring into phone screens (like we do now!).

Plenty of sharp, cleverly written humor is also present for discerning viewers. Bedos can feel proud of the fact that he didn't overly sentimentalize the proceedings or overuse his unique rom-com concept. The writing here for each of the lead characters is solid and very Kaufman-esque in its world-building. I, for one, would love to visit Utopia as many times as possible. Also, I feel uber tempted to check out Doria Tillier's other works ASAP!

Nicolas Bedos' La Belle Époque has distinctive French flavor and is somewhat old-fashioned.

The film is really light-hearted and is all about love.

And yet it is fascinating and can easily bring you to tears.

Many viewers may recognize Nicolas Bedos in the movies like Love Is in the Air (Amour et turbulences) or Love Lasts Three Years (L'Amour dure trois ans). Still, he is first and foremost a writer and a director, and he is as good at those crafts as in the romantic films being an actor.

His new film combines drama and comedy, restraint and passion, romance and real life.

The main characters of the film are Victor, an illustrator, and Marianne, a psychologist. Both of them are not young, but have completely different outlooks. Victor is stuck somewhere in the distant past, whereas his wife Marianne still wants to take more from life.

The film constantly maintains a fast emotional pace. The tension becomes palpable. The relationships of the couple are on the verge of collapse. They are drifting apart being constantly annoyed. It seems that they just do not want to be close any more, but they might as well not realize how much they really want to be together. Nobody wants to concede and they have to decide whether they are moving on together or separately.

Perhaps, when everything goes wrong it is worth recalling how it used to be. What were you like, what were you both like? In such a way you might revive some stimulating ideas, your love or just find yourself. The only thing you need is a small push.

Victor has got a chance to check it out. His son gave him a present - an incredible journey into the past. He can choose any era and the team of professionals will transfer him to the chosen place and time.

The puppeteer of the business which aims at bringing hope is Antoine (Guillaume Canet). He is a sheer perfectionist who creates authentic historical installations where you can meet Napoleon, Maupassant, or even your own deceased father.

Such an expert would surely have been welcomed in the Ridley Scott's crew when filming Gladiator or Quentin Tarantino's crew when making Inglourious Basterds. However, taken into account Antoine's temper, they would probably have not got along. Just like Antoine's team can hardly stand his annoying behavior.

Antoine is ready to fulfill any of Victor's whim. The latter has chosen to travel back in time into his own past, namely the day he met the love of his life. It was the time when he was breathing freely; he was drawing and was the person he wanted to be.

Someone might find such choice a bit weird. Nevertheless, the main hero has made a decision to live his life again, to make up for the lost time. And the big game starts.

At first, Victor is amused by small inaccuracies of what is going on around him. However, in some time he becomes engrossed into this fictitious world. A completely innocent, at first glance, the game grows into something much bigger.

Victor changes. A fire lights up in his eyes again. He starts a struggle with himself without being fully conscious of that.

Leading this fight you need to stop in time and understand that whiskey is not as tasty as it could be because instead of it you are drinking water. Love is present not only in that one specific day, but it is also inside us.

In La Belle Époque, the characters quarrel and reconcile, love and hate, admire and despise. Despite that, love is prevalent in the given chain of emotions. It is the key even if you need to create the whole new world to save or find it.

Just saw this film at the VIFF. The opening scene is worth the price of admission and the fast-paced dialogue had me engaged throughout the film. Lots of witty lines and funny gags had the audience laughing. The acting was superb, especially Margot, who had to play her real life role as the director's girl friend and her acting role as Victor's wife in the past. Victor also was excellent playing the down and out jilted husband seeking connection to his past. Overall the tight script and flawless acting makes it one of my favourite movies of the year.

We play different roles in our lives, and sometimes we forget which one we are playing. The characters speak truths about themselves when acting, and wish they could act like they enjoy their real life. It is a film which is all the more touching because it evokes sympathy (for Victor) without being sad; it is dramatic without being indulgent (Antoine's fierce perfectionism that is distracted by Margot); it is sentimental without being nostalgic (They are not 'lost' in the past, and the pop culture references are spot-on). The script is tightly written and the wit comes through even to a non-francophone audience. It is an immensely satisfying film because all the characters grow, and come to an understanding of themselves and who/what they love in the end, bringing much laughter and tears to the audience along the way. The music is also perfect at each juncture. Bravo.

This film results in a story about love and nostalgia.

The story of this film captures you completely, the plot is very emotional and shows us how true love endures even if there are ups and downs along the way. The story is very beautiful, you manage to empathize with the protagonist from the beginning, it has a very effective balance between comedy and drama, there is a good development of why things happen, it exposes that changes in our life are inevitable but we will always be faithful to those who we are, and what we love, the production design is good, the cinematography is beautiful, and the character development is good. But there is a character who does not have any development just as there is another character who ends up being despicable and gives a very bad example of what it means to love someone.

The story is entertaining and emotional, it talks about the fact that the love we have for another person endures and will not cease to exist despite the difficulties along the way, it is a quality film that definitely made me believe in love.

My own personal 'Belle Époque' would have been my student days in the late 60s, most especially '69, when I fell amazingly in love, so I was 5 years ahead of Victor, but I can so much identify with the nostalgia, and the desire to go back. Indeed, I often visit those days in my dreams, with the sort of distortion of events that only dreams can do. So if I could pay to be magically transformed completely to 1969, to live its fabulous intensity all over again, only my bank balance would hold me back. To return to relive a time when the world lay ahead of me, everything seemed possible, and I was not old and cynical, now wouldn't that be marvellous? It is so refreshing to watch a movie that involves genuine acting, and Daniel Auteuil is magnificent, as always, his eyes alone capable of expressing so much emotion. And it sets 21st century and possibly futuristic technology against a backdrop of 1974, when life really was all so much simpler. The movie does at times become dream-like in its depiction of Victor's recreation of his youthful journey, and most certainly surreal, definitely bewildering in places for him, and the whole story is cleverly handled with wit and elegance. Well worth seeing, and I will give it a faultless 10/10

This movie is based on a great idea. It is a fact that for most people, the favorite time of life is the age at which we were at the peak of our youth. That whole period stays with us for the rest of our lives. Be it the music, the movies, TV shows, the artists, the fashion, or even the politicians of that time, we love them all! Anything that came before our 'golden age' is too boring for us, while everything that comes after that is a grotesque fad & not art! As ironic as that seems, it is what makes us humans; the comfort of the familiar things!

While this movie started out great with a promising premise, somewhere down the line, it lost its steam & became mediocre. A couple who has been married for 40 years has become completely disillusioned with each other. A peek into the old times gives them a chance to remember what it was about them that made them fall in love with each other in the first place. But things are not so simple because in the last 40 years, they have both changed a lot! And finally, there's the eternal question: can we go back in time & make things right again?

By the way, there's a younger couple too in the movie, but I didn't care much for their story. It felt uninspired & very commonplace!

I'm a great admirer of Mr. Auteuil and must say that all the actors have done a superb job. If only the screenplay was a bit better!

I adored this romantic and retrò movie! I think that many people can recognize themselves in the situation of the protagonists, especially couples who have been married for a long time. Through the past that comes back and becomes true, they find a new light in their life and love. The idea to create a set in which anyone could experience the era that he most likes is brilliant and I would be the first client if this would be really possible. The idea is smart and original. Many intense moments bring with them some tears, but also laughs and passion. It is definitely a movie to watch!

Daniel Auteuil plays Victor, a bored sixty something, whose wife, Fanny Ardant, has lost interest in him. He decides to hire out a company that can deliver any fantasy with sets, actors etc to relive the time in 1974 when he first met her. The matter is complicated when he falls for the actress playing his wife, who in turn is having a troublesome relationship with the director of the illusion.

Really rather sweet, with some very fine performances from a great cast. The problem is overcoming the notion that the whole idea behind this is unbelievable, in fact really rather daft. I enjoyed the film thanks to a witty script and great acting but didn't believe in it much.

Victor and Marianne are in their early seventies. While Marianne refuses to grow up Victor struggles to adapt to a modern world full of gadgets and the virtual reality of the internet. A present from his son - a successful media businessman turns his life upside down as he is allowed to relive the best days of his youth.

Once again a romantic comedy where the protagonist tries another chance with his past. However this time around the premise does not include literal time travel or rewriting of history. If TRUMAN SHOW was a romantic comedy you'd get LA BELLE EPOQUE. It is also refreshing to see French acting royalty Daniel Auteuil and Fanny Ardant in the main roles. Sparks fly when they are together on screen and it is realistic, exciting and intense. The script is extremely clever, well paced and filled with hilarious situations.

Sometimes everything comes together in a film - the music, the acting, the direction, all supporting an original story that digs deep but makes perfect sense. Perfectly funny, spot on dialogue, memorable characters - it's all there. A feel good, but an intelligent film - I didn't want it to end.

Original idea and dynamic directing. The movie has quite a lot of scenes twists and interesting characters.

I loved the main idea of the film, but I don't see the point of trying so much to make it look realistic. In my opinion, it would have been better to adapt it to the magic realism genre. Daniel Auteuil and Pierre Arditi did a great job. Fanny Ardant's performance was less convincing.

The French certainly make some very clever and engaging films and this is certainly one of them. You could probably anticipate the ending but not the route to get there. This is a film you can watch again and again.

When you compare this and other European films with the genre that is coming out of the US now you can only be grateful that there are such films available to watch and enjoy.

I'd thought of writing a long, involved review of this one, concentrating on the plot antecedents, but what's the use? It's so much fun watching this comedy with dramatic touches that my critical sense is forgotten. Daniel Auteuil is splendid as Victor, and he makes the comic transitions from scene to scene very well. Fanny Ardant changes from sourly critical to warmly emotional as needed--haven't seen her as good at comedy since 8 Women. That's all; I hope to see it again on video.

Plenty of pizazz, and big name French actors, going through their paces. Great airplane movie, if they ever let us onto airplanes again.

For me, it seemed like too much skill, devoted to little of an idea. OK, the guy can pay big-time, to have his salad days recreated with great finesse. And so? Didn't seem to go anywhere, it just went on, the end.

Beautiful, meaningful and gracefully funny. Loved it. 🖤

Whenever a movie of chasing the good old days , we love it, why not? The pass is always better, we feel safe with our memories, nothing is uncertain, everything is predictable !

That's why we so addicted to Dejavu, sadly that's out of our control !

Guess in the future people will pay to buy back the precious memories and experience, just like people pay for some sleeping salon now, sounds lucrative!

It is a captivating romantic film. I enjoyed the dialogues and interesting plot twists. There were quite a number of laughs in the theatre. Seen at Vancouver International film festival 2019.

Such a French movie. Great performances, great script and so so very French. The love betrayal portrayal so nonchalant and master of fact. Love, freedom, craziness, betrayal, forgiveness, jealousy. Not necessarily in that order and definitely on repeat.

A great fun watch. Auteuil and Ardant are mesmerising. Youthful vigor resplendent!

The spring of 2020 is off to a good start with this critically acclaimed movie by a (as of this date) relatively unknown director.

It tells the story of a marriage in crisis, a wife who is not content with her husband and decides to separate. The husband on the other hand is bored with life looks for some kind of change. This is a reasonable plot on its own, reminiscent of classics such as Fritz Lang's Woman in Red, or Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage - but the director then gives it a twist and plays with the idea of the husband diving back into their happy days in a clever way, and it provides a lot or witty humour, as well as some somber reflective moments.

The performances are truly amazing from all of the cast, the stars and supporting cast alike - and you get a little bit of an American Beauty-feeling, partly credited to the perfect mix of satire and snappy dialogue, but also due to the fact that this is a realistic and bitter look into the everyday lives of people who wants to leave their gray surroundings and make something of their lives.

It truly is a masterpiece, and I am lookint forward to seeing more from this director!

Other than IMDB dating this film to 1992 (there is a Spanish film of the same name from that year) I have no issues really. Charmingly acted by Auteuil and Ardant, it is a pleasant and amusing, if somewhat elaborate, fantasy about re-discovering a youthful love.

Amazing movie with an impressive cinematography, first minutes you can find it comedy but the magnificent actors switched it to another level of drama. This is the art of cinema .. this is greatness .. Just amazing.

La Belle Époque is neither a hero movie, nor something to push you to the view of the director. It is simply a sincere movie about life. In the middle of so much todays technology and information, it brings you to the times when life was more simple, pure and sincere, no matter if it was good or bad...