Happily Ever After (2004) User Reviews (12)

They got married and had a child, but didn't live happily ever after

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 30 April 2005]

As much as one would like to respond to Ivan Attal's films, one is puzzled about his choice of material. M. Attal seems to be at the center of all his films, and that, perhaps, works against him, as it is one way to lose grasp on the subject that he, as a director is trying to present. Basically this is a film about duplicity and deceit. The cliché about the sexual French man is perpetuated here as we get to know Vincent, M. Attal's character.

If you haven't seen the film, perhaps you would like to stop here.

At the beginning of the picture we are taken to a club where we meet Gabrielle, a slim and elegant woman, who is being invited to a drink by the fellow to her left. At that same time Vincent suddenly appears at her side who ends up being rewarded in taking her home. We had no warning that they are a couple.

Vincent is seen lounging with two close friends, Georges, the hotel manager, and his coworker, Fred. Inevitably, when guys talk, the topic almost invariably is about women one, or perhaps, all of them have managed to take to bed. Fred, the homely one of this trio, seems to be the luckiest one. He can book afternoon and evening trysts. Our conclusion is either he knows how to please, or is enormously endowed.

Gabrielle and Vincent are an unhappily married couple. They are living together in the same apartment, but they are miles apart in mostly everything. There doesn't seem to be any love between them after a few years. Vincent loves to do practical jokes to both his son and to his wife. What Vincent doesn't tell his wife, or his buddies is that he is having his own love affair with a masseuse. Their passionate encounters reveal an incredible passion. One wonders how Vincent finds time from his job and from Gabrielle to be with wife and mistress, although Viagra might be one solution.

The only ray of hope in the film is when Gabrielle, shopping for music at the Virgin Megastore stops to listen a sample CD. As she is enjoying the song, a mysterious and handsome man stops at the same listening station to sample the same song. He disappears and she goes after him, but nothing happens. Then, at the end, she has an appointment to show an apartment and who happens to be the would be tenant? You guessed it! They are seen on the tiny elevator going up and up into a heavenly ride.

This is a film about miscommunication and one dimensional characters. Charlotte Gainsbourg, is always a welcome presence to any films. She projects intelligence in everything she does. Ivan Attal, as an actor is good. The friends Alain Chabat and Alain Cohen, as Georges and Fred do a fairly decent job. Emmanuelle Seigner doesn't have much to do. Angie David and Aurore Clement play Vincent's mistress and her mother. Claude Berri and Anouk Aimee are seen briefly as Vincent's parents without any justification, or perhaps, M. Attal is trying to show us that his parents by staying together for so many years are bored with one another as we don't see them exchange a word, or much less any loving glances as we watch them having dinner in a fancy restaurant.

Johnny Depp is seen effectively in his two scenes. He doesn't say much, only a couple of words, but he makes an impact that none of the other characters made during the film.

Interesting characters - but no substance

[keenast · 5/10 · 8 January 2006]

After watching the very enjoyable 'My wife is an actress' I had high hopes for 'Happily ever after', alas, the experience was disappointing. Attal started by creating interesting, complex, and even likable characters but was not able to shed any light on his premise, that is 'does or can monogamy work and if how' and cops out in the end with a nonsensical elevator ride into the sky with Gabrielle and l'inconnu Johnny Depp inside. Attal was able to set up its premise nicely during the first half of the movie, then, like feeling himself that he actually has nothing to say really, tried to save the day with whimsical 'musical' numbers, mostly terrible sentimental songs to terrible sentimental montages. He might have tried to make ironical statements with that but it comes over as if he's trying to appeal to the masses and feed them some 'Amalie' moments. The film presents itself very energetic from the beginning, with excellent cinematography and lighting, though a bit too fast cut. All female roles - with the exceptions of Attals real world wife Charlotte Gainsbourg seem to be afterthoughts as he himself admits in an interview and it shows. While they could have added some insight into the 'premise' they haven't been asked to do so by the writer/director.

Modestly enjoyable comedy-drama, albeit with distinct weaknesses

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 29 April 2023]

As a matter of comparison in some measure, one could point to certain Hollywood ensemble pieces of the past twenty years or so: dramas like 'Crash' or 'Noel' (both released in 2004), or comedies such as 'Love, actually' or 'Valentine's Day.' Of the many names in the cast, several should be very recognizable to viewers from most any locale (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Aurore Clément, Anouk Aimée, arguably Alain Chabat), while others have renown more limited to the continent. Despite the size of the cast, though, there's definitely one story thread that fills the bulk of the screenplay, made more unusual for the fact that the first half of the feature is decidedly rather loose and scattered in its storytelling, while the narrative tightens in the second half. (And for the fact of that tightening, the secondary threads - though they are brought to a conclusion more or less - nevertheless feel like they're treated even more poorly in the latter half.) Meanwhile, the strength of the writing (and the execution in turn) is highly variable through to the very end: some inclusions, as small as the use of music or as substantial as whole scenes, range from genuinely brilliant, to appropriate in a sideways fashion but ill-fitting as they present, to confusing or breaking from the timeline or tone of the picture. Alongside that variable writing, it also feels like 'Happily ever after' makes wild swings between comedy and drama, the former light and lovely at its best, and the latter giving us a few moments that inspire a quizzical "What?"

All this is to say that the movie is uneven, and not always entirely convincing. It's enjoyable more than not, and by no means do I think it's bad, but some ideas (again, even whole scenes) could have been dropped without losing anything, and others needed to be altered. Or is it that editor Jennifer Augé made some choices of sequencing that somewhat muddle the end result? It would be weird if Augé were partly responsible, because in a couple instances her editing directly plays into two of those sparks of ingenuity in Yvan Attal's screenplay. Regardless, in most ways this is well made, including commendable direction from filmmaker Attal. The cast give fine performances all around, from the chief stars (though Gainsbourg and Attal, and their then-seven year old son Ben, have an obvious familial advantage to their on-screen chemistry), to supporting players like Angie David or even those who appear in only one scene, like Clément. Rémy Chevrin's cinematography stands out a bit to me, in some moments more than others; the filming locations and production design are smartly paired. To whatever degree of success the supporting characters are woven into the overall narrative, the central thread is well considered and modestly compelling, and the scene writing in particular is pretty strong even if I disagree with some examples thereof. Both aspects of this comedy-drama are mixed, but splendidly satisfying at their best.

The end result of all this is less a singular discrete plot, and more a broad portrait of Romance and Relationships with story threads of varying size. I suppose what it comes down to is that this is passingly entertaining on its own merits if one happens to come across it, and it's suggested most for those who are especial fans of those involved. With or without consideration of its weaknesses, it's also nothing to go out of one's way to see; this is a feature built for light amusement, and not a night set aside. Maybe that's all it needs to be, for that matter; there's no rule that says every title needs to be an essential classic. Temper your expectations one way or another, but while 'Happily ever after' may not be a revelatory viewing experience, there are certainly worse ways to spend one's time.

One of the greatest looking movies I have ever seen

[gkkarras · 8/10 · 22 January 2006]

There are other reviews on this site that discuss this movie's finer plot themes, etc. However I write this my first review because I felt so compelled by the look of this movie. This movie will truly delight eyes and ears and for sure worth its rental fee. There is one particular scene, a sort of transitional fade from flowering colors to the character, that is particularly beautiful. I went back to it again and again when the movie was over. The film is kind of an impressionist painting in which the characters come to life upon. A great and modern musical score adds to the film's vibrant look. Add a nice bottle of wine and dinner on the coffee table to make the best of your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Love and Marriage...and other consequences

[gradyharp · 24 October 2005]

"Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants" ("Happily Ever After") is a cleverly written examination of contemporary views on love, lust, marriage, infidelity, and the single life. Writer/Director/Actor Yvan Attal has come up with a winner, an entertaining, funny, and ultimately thoughtful treatise on how we cope with partnering.

Three men work together in a car dealership. Vincent (Yvan Attal) is the apparently happily married man with a beautiful wife Gabrielle (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and child. Georges (Alain Chabat) on the other hand is in a tumultuous marriage with Nathalie (Emmanuelle Seigner) who has gender issues that go far beyond feminism and negatively influence their child. Fred (Alain Cohen) is single, bedding every lovely woman he encounters, balancing trysts between mornings, afternoons, and evenings and is deeply envied for his Don Juanism. But Fred actually longs for the sense of belonging that married men enjoy.

The men's lives intertwine on many levels. Most important, we discover that Vincent has a lover (Angie David) despite his idyllic married life and while it is Georges whom one would expect to seek solace from a lover, he remains faithful to his nagging wife! Gabrielle senses Vincent's affair and encounters a sexy man in a music shop (Johnny Depp) who begins to preoccupy her thoughts. She is a real estate broker and comes close to an assignation with a client but remains faithful. All the while she daydreams about her brief encounter with Depp and satisfies her wandering eye with those memories. Fred discovers that one of his paramours is pregnant and happily decides to leap into the married fray. The only 'adults' sharing advice here are Vincent's long married parents (Anouk Aimée and Claude Berri in very welcome comeback cameos!) and it is this 'standard' that adds the final humor to the film.

The manner in which all three men deal with their living situations asks as many questions as it gives answers. Attal finds joy in all forms of coupling and is careful to offer all sides of decisions his characters make in arriving at what provides them happiness. This is a smart movie with terrific twists. There is just enough slapstick (an all out food fight between Vincent and Gabrielle - real life husband and wife team Attal and Gainsbourg - that proves to be one of the fun-loving bits of silliness that binds their marriage) to keep the mood light. Not a profound film, but a joyous French comedy handled by total pros! In French and English with subtitles. Recommended. Grady Harp

Grew on me.

[runamokprods · 8/10 · 25 June 2011]

I found I liked this admittedly sometimes uneven French comedy/drama about love, marriage and fidelity much more the 2nd time around.

Yes, there are still moments that are banal and cliché'. And yes some of the supporting characters tend towards stereotypes.

But there's a life and a playfulness to the film, an almost delirious sense of energetic film- making, peppered with both a truly odd but effective Johnny Depp cameo, and some great rock songs popping up along the way.

The basic story exploring the inherent rockiness of marriage may be old hat, but the cinematic approach and the performances (especially Charlotte Gainsbourg's irresistible young wife and mother) make many of the old ideas often feel new.

A film of memorable moments; sexy, complicated, funny and sad. Much like love it can bit over sweet, or painful, but is very worth the time

Two modern French couples deal with marriage

[linda-164 · 10/10 · 15 August 2004]

A very charming romantic drama. The cast and story are top notch. Although I have seen these actors in other films, they created such rich characters I felt that I was meeting them for the first time. Some of the film was hilarious, some was sad, some brought on some deja vu for the events many people can relate to in their own lives. Whatever the emotion of the scene, it all seemed quite realistic. I would recommend this to all audiences. I saw it in French with English subtitles. It seemed like everyone else in the theatre was as interested in the movie as I was too. It was a pretty hip contemporary story. The film ran for 105 minutes but I would have liked more - maybe Part II?

A "Pardon Mon Affaire" for the next generation

[imriej4566 · 20 September 2004]

Once again, Yvan Attal brings us his exploration into temptation. His previous film, 'Ma Femme est une Actress', was a dark comedy about a man paranoid that his actress wife (Charlotte Gainsbourg) was being bedded by her leading actors. Gainsbourg returns as Attal's on screen wife for this, his second feature. Infidelity is the main topic of discussion as we follow three friends and their lives, which seem to revolve around sex, or lack thereof. Like a modern update of Yves Robert's 'Pardon Mon Affaire', Attal's use of humor helps placate the true sadness of the storyline.

Vincent (Attal) and Georges (Chabat) are both married with a child. Vincent has, what his two friends perceive as, a happy marriage. He has a beautiful wife, Gabrielle, and a playful child. If they argue, it is quickly defused, and life is loving again. George, on the other hand, is constantly arguing with his nagging wife (Seigner), much to the chagrin of the quiet, East Indian neighbors. George is jealous of Fred (Cohen), the swinging bachelor who is constantly juggling a schedule of liaisons with a selection of beautiful women. George would love nothing better than to leave his wife, or at the very least, have an affair. But he doesn't have the guts, and if truth were told, he really does love her. Ironically, it is Fred who is jealous of his friends, as he longs for the commitment in a steady relationship.

(WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD)

But as we quickly discover, all is not perfect in paradise, as we see Vincent is having an affair unbeknownst to not only his wife, but also his friends. Gabrielle soon has a feeling about her husband's infidelity, but does not confront him, hoping instead that he will work it out of his system. We as the audience hope so too, since Vincent begins to come across as the cad destined to screw things up. There doesn't seem to be a rational reason for his straying, other than perhaps a change of scenery or the sexual excitement of a tryst. As in 'Actrice', we see one partner's paranoia for the other's fidelity. This time, it's the female perspective as Gabrielle, on a holiday with her son, considers the possibility of an affair herself.

Thrown into all this is a few interesting cameo appearances – Producer/ Director Claude Berri (Manon Des Sources) and Anouk Aimee (Un homme et une femme) play Vincent's parents, and Johnny Depp, who's dialogue-free encounter with Gainsbourg in a music store is rife with sexual tension and desire.

I found the film very enjoyable. Not completely a romantic comedy, but like 'Actrice' Attal reigns in both the humor and the drama to give a balancing act of non-judgmental reality.

The soundtrack literally rocks, as Radiohead, Cinematic Orchestra, Cousteau, and the Velvet Underground help get Attal's message across. (Methinks he was a music video director in another life.)

Highly recommended. 7/10

(Note: The direct translation of the title, 'They Married and Had Lots of Children', differs from the English title '…And They Lived Happily Ever After' given.)

Clever Relationship Movie About Adult Life

[captainquality · 8/10 · 10 June 2007]

This is one of the more interesting and clever French films of recent times. Yes, it dips into cliché and stereotype territory occasionally, but the dialogue and complex relationships between the actors keep it fresh and enjoyable to the end. Though intended to be just about guys of a certain age and their romantic problems (see Attal's interview in the DVD bonus features), I would say the women steal the show in many ways. Charlotte Gainsbourg is truly wonderful and delivers a very emotional, multi-dimensional performance. Ditto for the beautiful Angie David, playing Attal's mistress. But watch out for Emmanuelle Seigner! She is hilarious as Alain Chabat's ball-busting wife, and deserves to have her screen-time doubled at least. (Indeed, though this film is a sensitive treatment of the serious subject of the pain of infidelity, there are several moments where one loses one's breath laughing.) Attal adds interesting, unusual elements, such as the periodic food/water fights with his wife and Johnny Depp's superb cameos, and overall does a commendable job with the script.

Analytic sidebar: Reading between the lines, it appears that this film is intended to convey the message that having a mistress is okay, and the alternate ending (DVD bonus features again) reveals Attal cagily continuing his affair to the end (though this ending did not test well - tellingly - and was changed for the final release). Attal reveals in the bonus interview that he purposely portrayed his wife as a wonderful, understanding, gem of a woman and yet wanted to show that it was still also okay for his character to have a mistress. This adds an extra splash of perverse pathos to the film - Attal writing a script about how it's okay for him to have a mistress, and then casting his own wife in the role of his on-screen wife. Ouch. A bit self-serving in retrospect (though, to be fair, never creeping into Woody Allen territory). Stiff upper lip, Charlotte.

In sum, a fine film, innovative in pleasant ways, and full of great performances.

Playing Away

[writers_reign · 25 September 2004]

This is the third film from triple-threat (Writer-Director-Actor) Yvan Attal and arguably his best. Once again he has cast his real-life partner (they have just had a child) Charlotte Gainsbourg as his screen wife and cast fellow triple-threat wda Alain Chabat as his best friend. Whilst Vincent (Attal) and Gabrielle (Gainsbourg) have a seemingly ideal marriage Georges (Chabat) and Nathalie (Emmanuelle Seigner) are more tempestuous and Nathalie's nagging is ever present. Both couples have a child hence the title, They Were Married And Had Many Children, which is also the French equivalent of the fairy-tale ending 'and so they lived happily ever after'. The third man, Fred (Alain Cohen) is single and has no shortage of girls. This is the broad outline. The twist, such as it is requires Fred to envy the married state, Vincent to lead a double life that fools even Georges and Fred and Georges, the logical one to cheat on a nagging wife to be faithful. Most of the five principals are virtually unknown outside France - Chabat appeared in 'Le Gout des Autres', Attal in 'Bon Voyage' - but Anouk Aimee who plays Vincent's mother is certainly known if only for 'A Man And A Woman' whilst Berri, of course, directed 'Jean de Florette' and 'Manon des Sources'. Attal has done a workmanlike job of exploring male bonding - the men spend hours playing football - and precarious relationships and it's the kind of film that can find an audience abroad. 7/10

Excellent movie

[whiskey18799 · 10/10 · 26 April 2006]

The greatest foreign film I have seen as well as one of the best movies ever. The reason is because the film progress very fluid like because of the story and great performances with a little bit of Johnny Depp added. Most people who don't like this movie don't because they don't understand it. Luckily, the director explains key points (in the featurette).

Also, the female lead is so likable and adorable that every guy wishes he had her as a wife. Also, there are many turning points that make the movie not be predictable. The main reason it is so interesting is because it shows what life is like in Europe. Veyr interesting movie. Highly recommended!

A tedious, boring waste of time

[fordraff · 17 September 2005]

I walked out of this film after fifty minutes and would have been better off had I left after ten minutes.

This film provides an example that the French are as capable of making films as bad as mainstream American trash. Here we focus on married couples, one of which--an Indian couple--hardly receives any attention because they represent a still-loving pair after fifteen or so years of marriage.

Instead, the remaining husbands, Vincent and Georges, plus their single friend Fred, are the focus of attention. All of them are sexist louts only concerned with talking about bedding women and discussing women's T&A. Fred is a stereotype: the ugly guy you would think no woman would look at twice but who is, in fact, juggling a string of women. But then none of the male or female characters is developed in any depth here.

It's hard to believe a film would waste time on such guys. Their wives would be better off divorced from these sexist pigs and their children probably would be better off without them, too. The lifestyle these people are shown living is remarkably like that of too many Americans seen in mainstream films--arguing with each other, spending too much time in front of a TV set, overeating, and overweight. Of course, in French films, there's plenty of smoking, but it often looks chic. Not here, where Gabrielle is shown cooking in one scene with a cigarette dangling out of her lips. Ugh! Even the apartments these people live in are ugly. Gabrielle's kitchen could use the services of a good cleaning company.

The narrative line of the film is fractured. In the opening scene, Vincent comes into a bar and picks up his own wife, whom two other men are also trying to pick up. At this point, we don't understand that Vincent and Gabrielle are married. This makes for a very confusing opening to say the least.

Elsewhere in the film, similar chronology tricks are employed. I hadn't the least interest in the characters and was be-damned if I was going to try to figure out the fractured chronology. As in the atrocious "The Constant Gardener," the in-your-face technique (swish pans and rack focusing in particular here) seem an attempt to distract viewers from the humorless, lousy story.

At one point, Johnny Depp has a cameo moment with Gabrielle in a record store. Depp looks awful, as if he needed a shower, a shave, and a haircut as well as the services of the makeup people on the set. I understand that in a later scene, Depp reappears as a client to whom Gabrielle, a real estate agent, shows an apartment. And in that scene in an elevator going up to that apartment Gabrielle and the nameless character Depp plays at last have sex. Ho-hum. I obviously didn't miss a thing by walking out when I did.

During the fifty minutes I was in the audience at the 19th Street Theatre in Allentown, PA, I heard no laughter at all from an audience of about 70 people. During a food fight scene (Can you believe it?) between Gabrielle and Vincent, I heard a few titters of laughter, that sounded like an embarrassed response, as if the titters came from people who were asking themselves, "What are we doing watching something like this?" I couldn't understand why the entire audience didn't arise en masse and leave the theatre.