The word on the street is that Claude Berri fictionalised certain events in his private life for this film. That's as maybe but true or not the rumors seem to have had an adverse effect, keeping audiences away and comments to nil. Hard to see why; after all heavy hitters on the order of Daniel Auteuil, Nathalie Baye, Pierre Arditi and Miou-Miou don't knowingly and/or willingly associate themselves with suspect projects and even if they did their professionalism would ensure respectable performances. As with her mother and half-sister I can take or leave Charlotte Gainsbourg but even so I can hardly fault her performance here in the thankless role of the 'other' woman - one of two 'other' women as it happens, for this is the story of two couples, longtime friends in which both husbands engage in long-term affairs and, as the title says, ultimately one remains with his wife and one makes a new life with another woman. Noemie Lvovsky also lends her considerable expertise to a supporting role having herself directed Nathalie Baye in a similar movie, Les Sentiments, last year. You can't really argue with Arditi's decision to remain with Nathalie Baye (clearly he has more sense than Patrick Bruehl who let her go in Un Vie a t'attendre, also last year) though I for one and based purely on personal preference, would question anyone preferring Gainsbourg to almost any other actress (no offense, Yvan). On the whole I found this a totally engaging movie and easily rating 7 to 8 stars.
Review of L'un reste, l'autre part
