writers_reign Review of Same Old Song

Same Old Song (1997)

You Keep Coming Bacri Like A Song

[20 February 2004]

I will always go out of my way - in December last year I tracked down a tiny theatre - capacity roughly 50 - in a Parisian alley to catch a performance of their 'Un air de famille' (yes, it was great, thanks for asking) to see anything written by Jean-Pierre Bacri and Agnes Jouai, and if they are performing as well, as they do in this movie, then that is icing on the cake. I tend to associate Resnais with pretentious intellectual 'popcorn' movies like Last Year At Marienbad and Hiroshima, Mon Amour so it makes a welcome change to discover that he can turn his hand to mainstream and deliver, with a little help from a great script and great acting from Bacri and Jouai, a great feel-good movie. The usual suspects - Andre Dussolier, Pierre Arditi, etc are on hand and turn in the usual above par performances. This is one to savor. 8/10