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ACTOR
Bernard CampanCharles BerlingLéa DruckerJacqueline Jehanneuf
DIRECTOR
Zabou Breitman
SYNOPSICS
L'homme de sa vie (2006) is a French movie. Zabou Breitman has directed this movie. Bernard Campan,Charles Berling,Léa Drucker,Jacqueline Jehanneuf are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2006. L'homme de sa vie (2006) is considered one of the best Drama,Romance movie in India and around the world.
On summer holiday in Provence, Frédéric meets Hugo and develops a powerful bond that threatens his family.
Same Actors
Same Director
L'homme de sa vie (2006) Reviews
lyrical exploration of the human heart
Set in the stunningly beautiful Provencal region of France, "The Man of My life" looks at how both passion and responsibility play an equally crucial role in defining who we are and how we love. Frederic (Bernard Campan) and Frederique (Lea Drucker) are a happily married couple who enjoy entertaining large groups of people at the country home where they vacation. One day, Frederic invites their next door neighbor, a single gay man by the name of Hugo (Charles Berling), over for a get-together with family and friends. Soon, Frederic and Hugo have struck up a friendship largely centered on their mutual addiction to running and their propensity to talk the night away over such weighty matters as love, passion, responsibility, freedom, commitment and marriage. Hugo tries to convince Frederic that his role as dutiful husband and father has robbed him of his individuality and earlier lust for life, while Hugo, spurned by his father at a young age, comes to his own understanding of the importance of family by the end. There's an obvious sexual attraction between the two men, but the movie goes far beyond the typical coming-out drama to explore romantic passion in all its myriad complexities and forms. Frederic is torn between the desire to continue loving the wife who so obviously loves him and who has provided a stable home for him and their children - and this new found feeling for Hugo that he can, in no way, shape or form, even begin to understand. The movie never feels the need to judge any of the characters; it presents them simply as well-meaning but flawed human beings who struggle on a daily basis, as all of us do, with an array of emotions, needs and desires that continually come into conflict with one another. The screenplay by Zabou Breitman and Agnes de Sacy employs long, winding conversations to reveal the truths about the characters and the relationships that help to define them. Moreover, the sensuous, bucolic setting, far from being a mere backdrop to the foreground action, actually serves to pull us into the lives of these people as they while away a languid summer swimming, hiking and exploring the inner workings of their own roiled psyches. In his direction, Breitman has come up with interesting, slightly abstract ways of filming the commonplace details of everyday life, utilizing extreme close-ups, distorted angles, catawampus framing and mosaic-style storytelling to impart a lyrical tone to the film. Superb performances by the three leading players also add greatly to the emotional richness of the piece. With a great deal of insight and tenderness, "The Man of My Life" presents us with a subtly provocative, beautifully realized and psychologically complex view of the human heart.
Beautiful and engaging
This film is about a married man developing romantic feelings with a charming gay neighbour. The plot is simple but special. It is striking that the plot blurs the distinction between homosexuality and heterosexuality. The main character, Frédéric, is heterosexual but develops feelings for a man. Hugo, on the other hand, is homosexual but is revealed to have a child. It's a good way to say that love has no boundaries. The way Frédéric develops feelings for Hugo is beautiful. The gradual disintegration of Frédéric's marriage is portrayed well, and Frédérique's desperation in the end of the film is palpable. This film is beautiful and engaging. It deserves to be viewed by more people.
A Unique Subject, a Unique Point of View
A lovely film about a somewhat-romantic friendship between a straight married man and a gay single guy. An interesting note is that this story was written and directed by a woman, Zabou Breitman. The dynamics between the men, more subtle and conversational than physical, allow us to learn more than if the issue of sex was raised quickly. The romance is not about sexual attraction, but the role people play in he life of the other that bring forth emotions. This is a rich film, combining philosophy with sensuality, whimsy with beauty. While the pace is slow, there are twists along the way, beautiful cinematography, humorous bursts and many believable characters to keep us interested. Well worth viewing.
Playful camera, beautiful cinematography and great editing combine to make this a superb film
Summer somewhere in France. A couple and their young son invite family and friends to enjoy a warm rural holiday at their old but comfortable summer house. A neighbor, a middle-aged single man, is invited to join the first night's outdoor party. It is quickly revealed that the man is gay. He and the husband start a tentative friendship. How far will it go? Beyond the apparently simple plot line, what struck me about this film were the visual aspects. A playful camera delights us with unconventional angles, framing, superpositions and transitions. Combining beautiful cinematography and great editing, the end result is a superb film. The tango music is icing on the cake.
Dreamy light drama that lingers...A rare gem
Zabou Breitman is a director/writer to watch notwithstanding her acting portfolio. If she was in Hollywood, she would be labeled a "triple threat", hailed as a maverick and given suitable coverage for her latest work. Though I've never been, watching this feels like you're going to have a pleasant, peaceful, summer vacation with your family and friends in southern France in the splendor of nature, comfy dwelling, great food and wine. What could possibly be missing or wrong, right? The French complex and complicated as they are, seemed not content with the ideal life and would simply want to crack things up because they're so bored with it. I take that back. In fact, the setting could happen anywhere and still be applicable and effective. Which makes this even more universally appealing to adults experiencing perhaps; midlife crisis? The story is really simple and almost no plot at all and it could have been really boring going back to the same scenes from a different perspective. But at two hours, I hardly noticed it at all. In fact, I wish it was longer. Breitman is a keen observer. She injects subtle slice of life sparsely spaced at right moments. It's like watching a painter at work with every restrained stroke of her brush as she finishes her masterpiece. The charming Charles Berling is perfect for the role of Hugo, a solitary new neighbor. He is also unabashedly, though masculine acting, gay. He announces this to the surprise of everyone when invited for dinner by good natured family man Frederic played by the equally adorable Bernard Campan. Both actors give exquisite performances as expected if you're familiar with them. If Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist met at this stage in their life, this would be an interesting development. Enough said, all the casts are good including the black cat in the background in a scene. If ever there was a runner up or successor to Brokeback Mountain, this would certainly be it in terms of narrative and milieu. Though the musical score is very good, it doesn't have the dramatic haunting reminiscence of Gustavo Santaolalla's and as such carries a slight advantage over this one. One noteworthy comparison is that they are both written by women. Is it perhaps those female writers/directors are more adept at handling gay themed love stories than actual gay writers/directors because women are more in touch with their emotions and knows what tenderness is? Or maybe they are writing it from their perspective originally intended for the lesbian audiences? Whatever the intention, they're truly good at it compared to many forgettable gay themed films with more emphasis on lust, agendas and dramatics. I wished this film would have had the same coverage as it truly deserves. I imagine it a big hit in Japan if it is or was released. One important thing this viewer learned is that it didn't go unnoticed and would even like to keep it a secret and maybe it should stay that way as if cherishing a gem of art shielding it from the general population. The Man of My Life effortlessly became one of his most favorite films of all time. Oh another skill that Zabou Brietman may or may not know have; poet.