Wednesday, June 18, 2008

MA VIE EN L'AIR

MA VIE EN L'AIR
Vincent Elbaz, Marion Cotillard, Gilles Lellouche


13th French Film Festival
Cinema 1, Shang Cineplex





Yann is tall, fair and handsome. He never runs out of women to date. His only problem is he has a fear of flying. Never mind the fact that he was born during a flight which entitles him free flights for his entire lifetime. How ironic that his job as an aviation safety expert demands that he sits in the cockpit of a plane and assess the capability of pilots during emergency scenarios. Fair enough it is just a job and he doesn't actually fly during those flight simulator moments. But he has developed a tendency to have relationships with women who suddenly relocate to other locations. Obviously due to his 'condition' those relationship are doomed from the start. Thus is the main premise of this French comedy.

A unique story line with enough sense to turn a seemingly hopeless situation into a film worth watching. The characters essay their roles with ease. They all blend well together as an ensemble. There are funny, hilarious moments as well as poignant dramatic scenes. It doesn't aim to make light of a valid condition nor does it treat this condition lightly.

It has the right amount of good comedic situations with dramatic scenes. The cast is well developed with believable characteristics. The setting is appropriate. There is a narration which ably guides the viewers to invest in the characters. The dialogue is entirely in comprehensive French with English subtitles. I like to note I say comprehensive since there are some French movies which tend to use a more profound version of the language. A bit difficult to explain unless you speak the language yourself. Eventually or should I say for once, there are no baffling twists and disjointed side plots, the ending is a bit predictable but nonetheless a good one too!

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