Two qualities bring out "Encore heureux", the third film directed by screenwriter Benoît Graffin, from the standard French comedy: on the one hand a script that is both light and serious, with subtle developments and cleverly interwoven sequences. And a perfect cast on the other hand.
If the scenario arrests you from the very first minutes it is thanks to its perfect combination of lightness (apparent) and gravity (underlying). Light are the offbeat tone, the black or harsh humor, the depressive nonchalance of Sam (the father) interspersed with whiffs of derisory enthusiasm, the repeated anger of Mary (the mother). At the same time, serious (not to say dramatic) is the situation in which the family depicted find themselves: the depressed father who cannot find work, the mother whose salary is not enough to boil the pot, the threat of eviction, the children destabilized by their parents' problems and endless arguments. In addition, we spectators are confronted with the moral problem facing the characters: what would we do if we were them? Would we remain honest at all costs at the risk of losing our homes, of starving, or at least of depending on the charity of others? Or in order to survive would we not accept like them some small arrangements with the law, such as cheating, stealing, lying or even... hiding a corpse? By so doing, Benoît Graffin appears as the Molière of modern times. He indeed provokes thought through the fun he gives.
As for the construction of the scenario, it is close rather to Labiche or Feydeau in its precision, its rigor and therefore its efficiency. When, for example, in the middle of the story, the family has become entangled in a situation that seems inextricable, one wonders how the poor screenwriter will get out of it without resorting to the easy way out, in particular the detestable "deus ex machina" expedient. Well, he does get out of it, and with honors ! The twists and turns follow one another with an unstoppable logic until the resolution, funny and unexpected.
Another pleasure is the film's top-of-the-range distribution, with Sandrine Kiberlain's petulance ideally suited to Edouard Baer's natural nonchalance. Bulle Ogier, for her part, composes an irreverent dryly humorous old lady, speaking with communicative jubilation Nicolas Bedos' incisive dialogues. Also remarkable are the two young actors, Carla Benaïou and Mathieu Torloting,
who know how to convey their mute concern and dismay without unnecessary insistence. A mention as well for the faithful and understated companion of French cinema, Guilaine Londez, as the building's janitor, a role that allows her to move from the funny to the dramatic with disconcerting ease.
All in all, although it does not break new ground on the cinematographic level, "Encore heureux" offers us an hour and a half of intelligent entertainment, which is not, you will agree, to be scorned. Just don't deprive yourself of such a pleasure.
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