An apparently happy couple, the sexy third, infidelity, ambiguities and chance, parks and architectures of a beautiful European city. These are the main symptoms of the Allen syndrome, an incurable disease that seem to have affected director Woody Allen for the past ten years influencing all his most recent but less memorable movies; like Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008), Midnight in Paris (2011) and To Rome With Love (2012). The good news is that this dangerous pathology, targeting mainly old successful male director whose signature can be commercially exploited until the very last breath, instead of worsening seems to improve over time. Allen’s last movie is the proof: repetition makes the master! Coup de Chance is in fact the 50° narrative feature of Woody Allen and a pleasant comedy thriller. Coup de Chance premiered “out of competition” at the 80° Venice Film Festival. Despite some activists’ attempt to bring public attention on the question whether it is ethically acceptable or not to invite a director accused of sexual harassment to the festival, the directors’ entrance on the red carpet was barely affected. And it wasn’t the five minutes standing ovation in the end. The first round of applauses showered him already in the beginning, when his name appeared in the opening credits.
Funny (Lou de Laage) and Jean (Melvil Poupaud) are good looking, rich and apparently in love. They live in a fancy apartment in Paris when not relaxing at their villa in the French countryside. A place that Jean adores because of the hunting and hiking opportunities offered by the surrounding. While Funny frankly hates it. As she also despises most of their supposed friends, couples: men who professionally “make rich people richer” matched with a trophy wife each. Fanny clearly hates to be regarded as such. She is beautiful and her shoes and bags are always très chic, coordinated with her lipstick. But she is also smart and reads. Jean is evil, arrogant, not so good looking, but treats her like a princess. Fanny’s and Jean’s life flows exactly how you imagine: slow, boring and luxurious. Until Alain (Niels Schneider) recognises Funny, on the street. After all, how couldn’t he? He has always been in love with her, since they lived in New York, where they attended high school together. For Funny this was actually the best time of her life, as she argues with a friend when trying to understand the attractions she feels towards Alain. And surprise surprise… after just a few picnics over lunch Funny and Alain become lovers. Alain is a handsome bohemian writer, but rich enough to afford tailored clothes and a cute attic in centre Paris. And the most important thing: he is completely crazy about Funny. However, right the moment Funny and Alain decide to take the next step, Jean uncovers their affair and decides to solve the situation his way, with a little help from some good old friends.
Coup de Chance is Allen’s first movie shot completely in French. And indeed, it looks a bit like a French stereotype for Americans. Everything is quite a cliché: the characters, the locations, the plot. Quite the opposite of Woody Allen’s first features. While the bourgeois Reader’s-Digest-like set design is Allen’s deliberate choice and have become a habit, the same cannot be said about the actor’s choice. According to rumours, in fact, Allen couldn’t find any Hollywood star willing to risk being publicly associated with a director facing accusation of sexual harassment. This might explain the choice of the cast, which performs well under his direction but definitely don’t shine, maybe also due to linguistic barriers. Better was expected from Franco-Canadian Schneider, given his brilliant breakthrough in Xavier Dolans’ I Killed my Mother (2009), as well as from French-Belgian Lou de Laâge. While they both come across flat, definitely catchier are the performances of Melvil Poupaud and Valérie Lemercier who plays Aline, the aloof mother of Funny. Especially towards the end, when the two start secretly sabotaging each other in order to win Funny’s trust and culminating in one of the best closing scenes of the festival, with an incredible plot twist. Is that Woody Allen’s coup de chance to leave the scene at age eighty-seven?
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