La Vie est à nous! (2005)
Directed by Gérard Krawczyk

Film Review

Gérard Krawczyk is best known for his entries in the popular Taxi series of films produced by Luc Besson - Taxi 2 (2000), Taxi 3 (2003) and Taxi 4 (2007). Whilst these may be his most popular films (Taxi 2 attracted an audience in France of over ten million) Krawczyk's more respectable films are all too easily overlooked, notably his more downbeat comedy L'Été en pente douce (1987). La Vie est à nous! is another lowkey comedy that is more likely to appeal to a grown-up audience than the Taxi films, although it is somewhat let down by a lacklustre script which fails to develop its ideas fully enough and is painfully lacking in character depth.

Gérard Krawczyk's mise-en-scéne has far more to commend it than on his previous comedies, and the performances from such distinguished actors as Sylvie Testud and Josiane Balasko are a pleasure to watch, although the poor quality of the screenwriting prevents the leads from making much of their roles. Most of the cast - particularly Eric Cantona and Michel Muller - merely look as if they are uninvited guests on a film set, not sure why they are there or what they should be doing.  Beset with forced humour, false emotion and over-cooked sentimentality, the film soon loses its appeal in its second half.

Film Synopsis

In a small provincial town, Louise and her mother Blanche manage a roadside bar.  Their long-standing rival is Lucie, the owner of another bar.  On the day that Blanche buries her husband, she receives a young orphan boy.  Despite Louise's best efforts, the boy remains locked up in his grief.  The next day, a mass of lorry drivers descends on the town, intending to block the road as part of a national strike.  Louise falls in love with one of the drivers, Pierre.