Ma vie n'est pas une comedie romantique
(It Had to be You)
Director: Marc Gibaja
Screenplay: Marc Gibaja and Laurent Sarfati
Soko's role: Lisa
With: Gilles Lellouche
Released: 19 December 2007 (France)
Length: 92 minutes
Genre: drama
Aspect ratiot: 2.35:1
This romcom parody is the story of Thomas and Florence. Thomas is a middle-aged Star Trek fan, who most recent relationship ended unpleasantly. (The film includes a Klingon wedding.) Florence became a single mother at 17, and became a schoolteacher. She meets Thomas while she and her daughter Lisa are shopping for toilet paper.
Louisa Amara of Écran Large called the film a pleasant surprise for fans of romantic comedies, and went on to say: "Marc Gibaja is no novice when it comes to humor and effective writing ...their script was refined until it found the perfect balance between irony and romance. The director certainly uses a few artifices at times to create expected twists, but maintains a sustained pace and sprinkles his film with winks to the audience to make his presentation more fluid and entertaining."
Gregory Vallens of The Associated Press wrote: "Gilles Lellouche and Marie Gillain are at their best. Lellouche has somehow become the new ordinary face of commercial French cinema, alternating villain parts in thrillers (“Tell No One”) and supporting roles in big productions (“Paris”, “Family Hero”). He obviously took a lot of pleasure in portraying a loser who will be saved by love. The sequence in which he sings Sinatra’s “Let’s Fall in Love” is a must-see. Marie Gillain has the freshness of her sparkling eyes. She is astonishing in avoiding cliches as the model wife torn between her newly born love and the voice of wisdom."
The black Star Trek uniform worn by Gilles Lellouche exists nowhere in the Trek universe.
All the vocals in the soundtrack are in English, although the dialogue is in French. The theme (The Dandy Cowboys) was written by Soko.
The French title translates as "My life is not a romantic comedy" but the English title of the film is "It Had to be You"
CAST
- Soko - Lisa
- Marie Gillain - Florence Baron
- Gilles Lellouche - Thomas Walkowic
- Laurent Ournac - Gros Bill
- Philippe Lefebvre - Pascal
- Frédérique Bel - secretary
- Vincent Bowen - Lucas
- Raphaëline Goupilleau - Rosie
- Mathias Jung - Casque d'Or
- Gérald Nguyen Ngoc - Saddam Ulcère
- Rufus - Thomas' father
- Andréa Ferréol - Thomas' mother
- Franck Monier - pet store employee
- Joseph Chanet - acupunturist
- Martial Courcier - Klingon
- Donatienne Dupont - Sarah Potier
- Yeelem Jappain - Cynthia
- Ruben Atlan-Zana - young Thomas
- Apolline Bouissières - young Florence
- Carmen Blanc - Ginger
- Jason Cohen - Kevin
- Claudia Tagbo - customs agent
- Philippe Beautier - Monsieur PQ
- Julien Fall - Dexter
- Maud Rayer - Gros Bill's mother
- Mendoza Lopez - Monsieur Lacorne
- Leslie Coudray - demonstrator
- Sébastien de France - Xavier
- Jérôme Paquatte - mover
- Philippe Hagège - window cleaner
TRAILER
Ma vie n'est pas une comedie romantique can be purchased on DVD (Zone 2) and streamed on Amazon.fr. The film is also available from Canal+ (with subscripton).
