Le Week-End (2014)

Memorable, crazy movie

hyped garbage

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Le Weekend, directed by Roger Mitchell, is a smartly-written, funny and, at times, acerbic, romantic comedy/melodrama, starring Lindsay Duncan and Jim Broadbent. Here, playing a couple who are spending a weekend in Paris as a means of rejuvenating their marriage and capturing some of the magic from time spent there before. Immediately, nothing goes to plan and romance turns to bickering, teasing, hijinx and a chance encounter with an old friend, played by Jeff Goldblum. Shot on location in Paris, the scenery and sights are a treat in themselves, whilst Hanif Kureishi's script hits most of the right notes. In a way, Le Weekend is akin to an older version of Richard Linklater's wonderful Jesse/Celine trilogy -- if not nearly as good. But it's still a fine film with much to offer those seeking a more mature, lingering romantic comedy that rings true and presents realistic characters and genuine situations

Comedy? This is about as funny as a double feature of Macbeth and Hamlet, but with more drama... The film chronicles the very British and very neurotic marital relationship of the two main characters. Both Broadbent and Duncan deliver good performances, but it's the script that spoils it all.I confess to not being British enough, nor neurotic enough, to identify with the characters... perhaps some people might find their situation interesting; I found it irritating. The characters are irritated with each other, constantly criticizing and complaining about everything; theirs is a textbook neurotic relationship, in which they get their kicks out of the sado-masochistic interactions they have with each other. All in all, a wonderful theme for a marriage counselors convention, but hardly a comedy, not even a "dramatic comedy"... There is nothing to smile about.And it's all so boringly predictable... They arrive at the same hotel in which they had their honeymoon 30 years earlier. Naturally, it doesn't look the same (like their marriage...), the rooms have been painted in a different color, and Meg hates it. Off she runs, with pathetic Nick trailing after her and, throwing money repeatedly at a cab driver (what symbolism: money is no object, we're just throwing it away!...) directly to the Plaza Athenée, the most expensive hotel in Paris, where she gives them their passports and credit card, saying literally: "money is no object". When the hotel receptionist tells them that the hotel is fully booked, they moan about taking the Eurostar back to London... As if there would be no other hotel room available in Paris: it's either their honeymoon two-star place of 30 years ago, or the Plaza Athenée... Nothing else will do.That's when my irritation went over my threshold and I found it difficult to engage with the characters.Even more predictably, on they go to visit... the Pére Lachaise cemetery, symbolizing their own failed marriage and their lives coming to an end. And the trip was supposed to be an attempt to revive their relationship?...It gets worse: at a dinner in an ex-pupil's home, when the host makes a beautiful speech thanking Nick for being an inspiring mentor, Nick retorts with a speech of his own stating that actually his life is over, he's been sacked by the university and his wife does not love him, he is a complete failure. Meg later tells him that his speech was brilliant... It seems to fit into the overall self commiseration that characterizes their lifestyle.I can understand all of it as an accurate description of a neurotic relationship... Just forgive me for not being excited about it. And please, please... do not bill this as a comedy!

Nick and Meg are a British couple celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary with a weekend getaway in Paris. As they travel around the city, they revisit the highs and lows of their relationship, fight about their faults, and continue to run out of restaurants without paying the bill. They meet up with an old colleague of Nick's and attend a dinner party at his house, leading to some painful truths being spoken aloud......Imagine films like Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, or Up The Junction, and take the characters from those films, forward it thirty years, and you have Nick and Meg. Its a kitchen sink drama, but in the middle class, and this is the films point of interest.Broadbent and Duncan are effortless as the twenty something's trapped in their ageing bodies, and sometimes it's really heart wrenching when Meg is being Abhorrent toward Nick and their relationship.But the relationship is just so real. Its as if you are watching an actual married couple on screen, and just when you think things are looking up for the couple, we have Jeff Goldblum appearing as an old colleague of Nicks, sparking something up again.Its a wonderful little film, with some great performances, and the scene at the dinner table is both heart warming, and crushing.

We saw this on DVD, the extra is interesting as the writer and director (who also directed Notting Hill) had the idea for the story then went and spent a weekend in Paris to see what couples might do, to make the story seem more real. And that is a strong point of the movie, it seems very real.The couple are Lindsay Duncan as Meg and Jim Broadbent as Nick. They have been married for 30 years and it seems their relationship has gotten a bit stale. So maybe a romantic weekend in Paris will rejuvenate things. But not so fast, there are some things boiling under the surface with both of them, making it a quite challenging weekend.A pleasant surprise is Jeff Goldblum. I always enjoy his characters, he has a way about acting that takes a plain role and makes it more interesting than it has a right to be. Here he is Morgan, an old friend of Nick's from college. Morgan seems very well off, and very cheerful with his pretty, young, and pregnant second wife. He assumes Nick is equally well off. In fact when Nick and Meg went to Morgan's place in the evening by invitation, with a number of guests, mostly intellectuals, Morgan proceeds to explain how Nick was his influence as a young man, how knowing Nick and the things he stood for propelled Morgan to success in his career. But Nick gave a quite different talk, and put everything into perspective. Things weren't going well at all.At first it seems Nick and Meg are not age-matched very well but in fact the actors are almost the same age, he about 63 during filming and she about 62. They were celebrating 30 years. My wife and I enjoyed it, in fact it allowed us to reminisce about our own trips to Paris and other parts of Europe, dealing with the foreign languages, the strange hotels and strange menus. All the main actors are superb.SPOILERS: What Meg didn't know was Nick had been sacked from his job as a small college professor. Apparently he told a girl "If you would spend less time on your hair and more time on your studies..." and a complaint got him booted. What Nick didn't know is Meg was fed up with her teaching job and wanted to do something different, and it seemed that may mean leaving Nick completely. Which would have devastated him. But in the process they clearly realize how much they love each other, even though they found they could not pay their very high hotel bill when it was time to leave. Morgan to the rescue!!