Too much of everything

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Antoine is rude, terrible rude and why? Has he put himself in a position, or being put, which he hardly, which he only can handle by behaving as he does: nothing to loose? Fed up to play the game which we all play, each one according the part destiny tells us to play? Antoine seems nothing to lose, telling on his birthday his friends and family what he thinks. A friend of his wife sees him with a woman. His girlfriend? Really? As he tells his wife: it is not what it looks like.And looking guilty. Hesitating to tell his accusing wife the truth. He leaves in his posh car. Behind: his career, his wealth, his family. On his way to Ireland and a visit to his father he should have visited years ago. In the last minute of the film, as in the book, the why-answer is given and the after text reveals more. Him, playing in the garden with his children, his wife looking through the window at the scene and remembering this scene when her husbands father tells her the truth. The actor knows of course the reason of her husband strange behavior. During the birthday party she looks puzzled at her husband: and reveals what she, the actor, knows and should not know. The apparent lover is not only a friend and more .... Antoine is honest. As a father should be and seldom is. But rude honesty crosses the line of decency he as member of society should be respected - which he doesn't but should.Otherwise we are barbarians, following nature and deny what humanity has achieved. Many receive the information Antoine receives. Some react as he does. Some deny. Some are ... Deux jour à tuer, the films title. Tuer means 'to kill': He 'kills' not only the weekend but does not accept achieved tradition of decency. The movie is a book, following, guided by the author, the book. We see what we see but it is only the peak of the truth.

This film has been trashed by Film de France's tame ego-tripping resident reviewer which is in itself reason to take it seriously. Jean Becker does not need me or anyone else to defend him, his films, like those of his equally distinguished father, Jacques, speak for themselves. Whilst it's true he has turned out a string of pastoral, sentimental, feel-good movies he is by no means a one-trick pony as he demonstrated in some of his earlier work and he does so again here. He displays the lightest of touch in his misdirection - a very early scene features the protagonist in a restaurant with a woman not his wife who presents him with a vintage wine in honour of his 42nd birthday and seconds later is insistent that he tell his wife. This scene, coupled with his subsequent behaviour, alienating an important client at the advertising agency he co-owns and then quitting, criticising birthday gifts made with loving care by his children, insulting the friends who come to celebrate his birthday and walking out on his wife all scream mid-life crisis. As we discover in the last reel it is anything but. Albert Dupontel carries the film superbly, this is a highly versatile actor who was equally convincing as an unhappy concert pianist in Fauteuils d'Orchestre and a ruthless assassin in Le proie and despite what the cynic at Films de France says the supporting cast are equally fine. A solid eight out of ten.

I found this film predictable and quite boring so I was quite happy that it was not too long. There are few moments quite funny but in the complex the story is not very well binded. The start of the film is on my opinion also the best moment of the film, so you expect from that moment a crescendo that unfortunately never arrives. In summary the protagonist, with a good work and perfect family, start to behave quite strangely, apparently without a reason. He criticize the system and society which he is part of. That is, indeed, easily criticizable, with many clichés that contribute to make a mediocre movie. The only good points of the film are, on my opinion, the good actors and, in the final part, the photography.

What a film!!! Without saying too much about the film, this is a punch in the face. French cinema is still a safe bet for watching quality movies, and obviously, Jean Becker, is one of the greatest directors. This film talks about a man who starts to change his own life suddenly. In a few hours we'll see how a man is tired of his own life, acts like he was insane with family and friends and all he wants is disappear and stop to being tired and bored. It must not be easy to represent this self-destructive man without falling into parody or into an absurd sense of humor what we'll see him with a constant sensation of uncomfortableness. And what about the last half hour. I cannot explain because this film deserves to watch without knowing too much about the plot, but there's pure cinema in it. Good acting, good scriptwriting and specially, an excellent direction. This films deserves to watch it quietly, without rush. A must see.