The film begins, however, with a man named Jean-Jacques
on a motorcycle. The opening narration tells us that “Jean-Jacques is lucky. He isn’t superstitious.” The narrator tells
us of the deaths of the French writers for whom are named the streets by which
Jean-Jacques must travel. It’s hilarious, intercut with illustrations of those
people. It’s delightful in sort of the same way much of Wes Anderson’s work is
delightful. I was reminded of The Royal
Tenenbaums, particularly.
Jean-Jacques is delivering some pizzas, but knocks on the
wrong door. And that’s how we’re introduced to Pierre and Elisabeth. The
narrator tells us that Elisabeth Garaud-Larchet (Valerie Benguigui) is a middle
school French teacher who directs the school plays. Her husband, Pierre (Charles
Berling), is a literature professor. “Corduroy
is like his second skin.” When Elisabeth’s mother, Francoise, calls, the
voice over tells us a bit about her also: “She
has a beautiful alto voice, but she’s a bit talkative.” Claude (Guillaume
De Tonquedec) arrives, and we’re told that he is a Libra, and also Libra
rising, and that he and Elisabeth have been friends since childhood. And when
Vincent (Patrick Bruel) arrives, we learn that he’s Elisabeth’s brother,
Pierre’s best friend, and Claude’s childhood friend. A real estate agent, he’s
“Merciless but extremely courteous.”
He met Anna when they almost collided in their cars. “And soon Anna will be expecting Vincent’s child.”
I know that many people are of the opinion that voice
over should not be used in films. And while there is a lot of awful and
pointless voice over in movies, it also can be used extremely well. It might
seem like an easy way to get across a lot of information about characters, but
in this film it’s done in such a creative and humorous way that it’s totally
enjoyable. And so when the film gets underway, we do already have a good idea
about who these people are. We already like them.
The odd thing, however, is that the first ten or fifteen
minutes end up feeling like a different film. All the narration, the quick
pace, and the many shots and cutaways in those opening minutes are fun, but
once the film gets going, all of that is dispensed with. The film becomes more
of a comedic drama, taking place in a single location. So while I enjoy
tremendously both the beginning and the bulk of this film, I’m not sure the two
quite work together.
The relationships, however, are all quite clear, with
conversation flowing naturally and lightly until Elisabeth asks Vincent about
Anna’s ultrasound. Vincent looks glum and says, “The good news is it’s a boy, the bad news is he’s dead.” They
recoil in shock, and he admits: “I’m
putting you on. He’s fine.” I appreciate Vincent’s screwed up sense of
humor, and it’s great that it’s established right away.
A little later, the others take turns guessing the name
Vincent and Anna have chosen for their child. Vincent gives the hint that it
starts with “A,” which immediately has me guessing. Turns out I guessed
correctly, sort of. Vincent says they’re
naming their child after the title character in Benjamin Constant’s novel, and
this leads to a heated discussion, with all making good points. And when Anna
(Judith El Zein) arrives, the conversation regarding the name resumes, much to
Vincent’s surprise and delight. But soon other personal issues are brought to
the surface. It’s great that the film first took the time to establish that
these are people who love each other, for otherwise we might not care as much.
The ending is a little weak, but otherwise this is a
completely enjoyable film.
What’s In A Name?
was directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patelliere, and was
released on DVD on June 3, 2014 through First Run Features. The DVD contains no
special features. The original French title, by the way, is Le Prénom.
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