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IMDbPro

Life as a Couple

Original title: La vie à deux
  • 19581958
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
226
YOUR RATING
Life as a Couple (1958)
Comedy
The writer Pierre Carot became rich and famous with his book "Life as a Couple", which was based on the loving relationships of four couples. Now he's setting up his will and wants to leave ... Read allThe writer Pierre Carot became rich and famous with his book "Life as a Couple", which was based on the loving relationships of four couples. Now he's setting up his will and wants to leave his wealth to the couples among the four, which are still as deeply in love - if any: else... Read allThe writer Pierre Carot became rich and famous with his book "Life as a Couple", which was based on the loving relationships of four couples. Now he's setting up his will and wants to leave his wealth to the couples among the four, which are still as deeply in love - if any: else, his companions get the money. He sends them out to visit the couples and test their love... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
226
YOUR RATING
    • Clément Duhour
    • Sacha Guitry(original screenplay)
    • Jean Martin(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Pierre Brasseur
    • Danielle Darrieux
    • Sophie Desmarets
    • Clément Duhour
    • Sacha Guitry(original screenplay)
    • Jean Martin(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Pierre Brasseur
    • Danielle Darrieux
    • Sophie Desmarets
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Fernandel in Life as a Couple (1958)
    Fernandel in Life as a Couple (1958)
    Life as a Couple (1958)
    Life as a Couple (1958)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Pierre Brasseur
    Pierre Brasseur
    • Pierre Careau
    Danielle Darrieux
    Danielle Darrieux
    • Monique Lebeaut
    Sophie Desmarets
    Sophie Desmarets
    • Marguerite Caboufigue
    Fernandel
    Fernandel
    • Marcel Caboufigue
    Edwige Feuillère
    Edwige Feuillère
    • Françoise Sellier, ex-Carreau
    Louis de Funès
    Louis de Funès
    • Maître Stéphane, le notaire
    Robert Lamoureux
    Robert Lamoureux
    • Thierry Raval
    Jean Marais
    Jean Marais
    • Teddy Brooks
    Lilli Palmer
    Lilli Palmer
    • Odette de Starenberg
    Gérard Philipe
    Gérard Philipe
    • Désiré
    Jean Richard
    Jean Richard
    • André Le Lorrain
    Pauline Carton
    Pauline Carton
    • Madame Vattier
    Mathilde Casadesus
    • La cuisinière d'Odette
    Marie Daëms
    • Madeleine, la camériste
    Ivan Desny
    Ivan Desny
    • Michel Sellier
    Jacques Dumesnil
    Jacques Dumesnil
    • Le professeur Henri Girane
    Christian Duvaleix
    • Jean Pommier, généalogiste
    Jacques Jouanneau
    • Sentis, généalogiste
      • Clément Duhour
      • Sacha Guitry(original screenplay)
      • Jean Martin(adaptation)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Sacha Guitry's original screenplay contains digests of a few of his plays, "Désiré", "L'illusionniste", "Une paire de gifles", "Le blanc et le noir" and "Françoise".
    • Soundtracks
      La Vie à Deux
      Music by Hubert Rostaing

      Performed by Mathé Altery

    User reviews1

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Guitry's testament.
    "La vie à deux" is the last screenplay written by Sacha Guitry. In this script, devised to be his testament, Guitry clearly chooses his heirs, not those who wish to make money out of his dead body (represented in the film by greedy Jean Tissier and Gilbert Bokanowski) but the woman (the adoration of his whole life) and the spectator (present and future). To this end, he has imagined a (thin) plot meant to revisit several of his plays ("Désiré", "L'illusionniste", "Une paire de claques", "Le blanc et le noir", "Françoise") in which two dimwitted genealogists (Jacques Jouanneau and Christian Duvaleix) are entrusted to check whether four happy couples who inspired him for his plays still live in bliss after all those years... Guitry originally planned to act and direct as usual, unfortunately he, who was too ill to complete his former film "Les trois font la paire " (1957), died before production was even started. Clément Duhour, a former actor turned producer and close friend to Guitry since 1951, seemed the obvious choice, all the more as he had co-directed Guitry's final film. Not so obvious when you consider the result. Of course, Duhour proves perfectly respectful and faithful to the master and he has managed to convince quite an impressive number of prestigious actors (most of whom being familiars of Guitry's theater and cinema) to appear before his cameras. But the pleasure of their company is not enough in this uneven film. The problem lies in Clément Duhour's incapacity to create magic and fascination. Luckily, a few of the performers manage to bring their character to life, the best being Gérard Philipe, irresistible as Désiré, the perfect butler who can't help falling in love with the women who hire her. Lilli Palmer is fine as well as the light companion of a French minister, Fernandel rather convincing in the difficult role of a white father whose wife gives him a ... Black baby! And Pierre Brasseur has the charisma required for being a Guitry substitute. But Jean Richard is absolutely inadequate as the man divorcing his wife because of his ... mother-in-law, Edwige Feullère is too stiff and cold for her role. And there is no real chemistry between Jean Marais as the illusionist and Lilli Palmer, the woman he is supposed to enchant by his lies. The so-so quality of Clément Duhour's direction should not stop you from watching "La vie à deux" though. For if, as I said before, the pleasure of their company is not enough, it still IS a pleasure to see Brasseur, Desmarets, Darrieux, de Funès, Fernandel, Philipe, etc. gathered together in the same film.
    helpful•5
    2
    • guy-bellinger
    • Jan 21, 2011

    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 24, 1958 (France)
      • France
      • French
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Hôtel Negresco - 37 Promenade des Anglais, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France
    • Production companies
      • Cocinor
      • Courts et Longs Métrages (C.L.M.)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 40 minutes
      • Black and White
      • Mono

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