Watching: La Belle Époque

[white_hart]

La Belle Époque is an entertaining French romcom starring Daniel Auteuil as depressed, out-of-work cartoonist Victor. Uncomfortable with modern technology and mourning the deterioration of his marriage, he takes up the offer of a 'time travel experience' (actually a re-creation facilitated by Antoine, a friend of his son's who owes him a debt of gratitude) to return to 1974, spend time in a bar he used to frequent and re-create his first meeting with his wife Marianne. I was a little worried that it was going to be a film about an older man having an affair with an inappropriately younger woman, but happily that turned out not to be the case. In fact, it's a double romcom; as well as Victor's relationship with Marianne (the always-excellent Fanny Ardant) we follow the tempestuous relationship between Antoine and Margot, the actress playing the young Marianne in the recreation. I found it funny (the scenes of the other recreations being provided by Antoine's company are brilliant), heartwarming and charming.