Life Is a Long Quiet River [La Vie Est Un Long Fleuve Tranquille] **** (1988, Benoît Magimel, Hélène Vincent, Valérie Lalande, Tara Römer) – Classic Movie Review 8723

Co-writer/ director Etienne Chatiliez’s 1988 first film Life Is a Long Quiet River [La Vie Est Un Long Fleuve Tranquille] is a jovial French farce in which two French families from different social classes, one rich, one poor, face up to a baby mix-up when the truth emerges 12 years on. A nurse has switched kids to take revenge on her lover, and then spitefully reveals the truth that a son (Benoît Magimel) and a daughter (Hélène Vincent), both now 12, were swapped at birth

Life Is a Long Quiet River [La Vie Est Un Long Fleuve Tranquille] has a funny screenplay and is full of amusing performances, while first-time director Chatiliez enjoys the typically Gallic culture clash between the middle-class and working-class families, and the contrast between the wealthy dutiful children and the poor delinquent kids.

It features Benoît Magimel, Hélène Vincent, Valérie Lalande, Tara Römer, André Wilms, Daniel Gélin, Catherine Hiegel, Catherine Jacob, Patrick Bouchitey and Christine Pignet.

Life Is a Long Quiet River [La Vie Est Un Long Fleuve Tranquille] is directed by Etienne Chatiliez, runs 95 minutes, is made by Téléma, MK2 Productions, FR3, Sofica, CNC, is released by MK2 Diffusion and is written by Etienne Chatiliez and Florence Quentin, is shot by Pascal Lebegue, is produced by Charles Gassot and is scored by Gerard Kawczynski.

Chatiliez followed it up with Tatie Danielle [Auntie Danielle] in 1990, with many of the cast and crew: producer Charles Gassot, co-writer Florence Quentin, actors Catherine Jacob, Patrick Bouchitey, André Wilms and Christine Pignet.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8723

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