Starring: Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan, Jeff Goldblum
Distributor: Transmission Films
Runtime: 96 mins. Reviewed in Feb 2014
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Le Weekend has received very good reviews. It is designed for an older audience, probably those who enjoyed The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Quartet. While it is put forward as a comedy, there is an edge to the film. Trying to find a word that would describe its sharpness and its pleasantness, the result would probably be ‘bittersweet’. And, with the British background, ‘bitter’ wins out many times.
The film has a literary background. The screenplay was written by Hanif Kennaishi, novelist and screenwriter whose films include My Beautiful Launderette and The Buddha of Suburbia. He is working again with the director of The Buddha of Suburbia, Roger Michel, well known for such films as Notting Hill.
Nick and his wife have been married for 30 years. He lectures in philosophy at a university college but has been fired because of inappropriate remarks to a foreign student. They have a son who sponges on them. A lot of the spark seems to have gone out of the marriage. They decide to rekindle their love by going back to Paris for a weekend.
The film is effective through the performances of Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan as the couple.
Because the action of the film takes place over two days, we have a great number of ups and downs in the relationship, affection one moment, irritation the next, the desire to walk out, tender moments of reconciliation. To that extent, the screenplay seems to be rather contrived, trying to put as many episodes in the running time as possible. Which means that the relationships and the tensions move too quickly as to be entirely credible.
A lot of the time is taken in going to a hotel, finding it undesirable, booking into an expensive hotel, scouting other restaurants, scrimping at one moment, paying up at others. And there are plenty of irritation scenes to go with it, making the audience continually wonder whether the marriage can be saved.
Then an unexpected character turns up, a friend from Nick’s student days, someone who has admired him and has presumed that Nick’s professional life has been unending success. He invites Nick and his wife to a party which is filled with left-bank intellectuals and academics from the Sorbonne. The friend, Morgan, is played enthusiastically by Jeff Goldblum.
The film then takes an even more serious tone with some conversation sequences, especially Morgan pouring out his admiration for Nick, toasting him at the dinner, then an important speech by Nick outlining the failure of his life. In the meantime, his wife has accepted an invitation to have a drink with one of the intellectuals after the party and has overheard Nick in another important conversation, this time with Morgan’s young son from America. The wife also makes a short speech at the dinner table, which contains a nicely subtle acknowledgement of her love for her husband.
It is not quite over yet, the couple finding that they do not have enough money to pay their extravagant hotel bill. Morgan again to the rescue. His zest communicates itself to the down-and-out couple.
This is a film which middle aged and older couples may well identify with, reflecting on their lives, on their marriage, high points and low points and the possibilities for failure or continuing success. (A caution for some older audiences who might find some of the language off-putting.)
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