A Spot of Bother (2010)

Sick Product of a Sick System

The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Michel Blanc is as fine a triple-threat (writer-director-actor) as any currently working in French cinema but although offered the chance to direct this title he contented himself with adapting the English novel and playing the lead role. As it happens he is joined by some fine French actors from veterans like Miou-Miou to a younger generation in the shape of Melanie Doutey and Gilles Lellouche. There is, of course, nothing new in our old friend the dysfunctional family but in the hands of these actors it is painless. Blanc, of course, is the patriarch, newly retired and building an extension to his already impressive property. Being a full-time hypochondriac he blows a spot on his back into a life-threatening cancer despite medical assurance that there is nothing wrong with him and his preoccupation, not to say obsession, renders him more or less oblivious to long-time wife Miou-Miou's affair with a family friend, his son's anguish about his gay relationship and his divorced daughter (Melanie Doutey's) less than ideal chance of a second husband, Gilles Lellouche who is one baguette short of a croc monsieur. Like all feelgood movies it comes out all right in the end and for us, the audience, it provides a pleasant couple of hours.

Jean-Pierre, a recently retired man, is a hypochondriac. Since he has time to spare, he is building a small house in the back of his expansive property. One day, while preparing to take a shower, he discovers a spot on his lower back. Without any logical explanation, Jean-Pierre decides it is cancer. Jean-Pierre decides to keep his discovery a secret, not even sharing his findings with Anne, his wife of many years.It becomes clear something is bothering Jean-Pierre. One day he decides to go to see a doctor. He is given an exam; the physician finds nothing wrong with him. Jean-Pierre decides to show the spot in his back which the doctor deems it is a sort of eczema easily treated with cortisone. Not satisfy with the verdict, Jean-Pierre starts thinking about the worst case scenario.All this is happening at the same time her daughter Cathie, who is divorced and has a child, has accepted Pilippe Faure's proposal of getting married. Anne, who has noticed her husband's restlessness thinks it is all silly. Anne in fact has been carrying an affair with David, a colleague of her husband. To make matters worse, the couple's son, Mathieu, has announced his homosexuality. He is having an affair with an earnest young man, Olivier, but he cannot make up his mind about their living together."A Spot of Bother" the English title for this film, was adapted by the star of the film, Michel Blanc, with the director, Alfred Lot from Mark Haddon's novel. The result is a look at a somewhat dysfunctional family. In many instances one cannot choose one's family, which seems to be the case and the theme of this interesting French comedy which takes to task to unravel family relations to find a solution for what keeps them apart. It is obvious love between Anne and Jean-Pierre is long gone, but what remains is the affection of having been together for so many years. The fact that the head of the family thinks the worst for himself, adds an edge to the story.Michel Blanc is an excellent comedian, as he shows here with his Jean- Pierre. Mr. Blanc goes from feeling death is just around the corner, to taking matters in his own hands, to a somewhat painful result. Miou Miou is seen as Anne, the wife that has strayed, but she is incapable of leaving her husband in exchange for an unknown future with David. Melanie Doutey and Gilles Lellouche are seen as Cathie and Philippe. Cyril Descours appears as the gay son, Mathieu, who surprises everyone at the wedding reception as Olivier comes and kisses him passionately in front of the wedding guests.