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Changing Times

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

Re-teaming French icons Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu for their sixth on-screen pairing, CHANGING TIMES is a complex and dolorous look at the life of Cecile (Deneuve), a French expatriate living in the changing city of Tangiers with her Moroccan doctor husband, Nathan (Gilbert Melki). After their 20-something son, Sami (Malik Zidi), his pill-popping girlfriend, Nadia (Lubna Azabal), and their nine-year-old become unexpected houseguests, Cecile and Nathan have new things to focus on besides the routine-ness of their marriage. Enter Antoine (Depardieu), who found first love with Cecile 30 years before, and has come to Tangiers on business--and with the intention of rekindling a romance with her. But when a work-related accident at a construction site sends him into a coma, it looks like Antoine's plans may never work out.

With a rich, bleak tapestry of intersecting characters, CHANGING TIMES places a realistic look at love and relationships against the devastating effects of globalization. While any filmgoer would be pleased to see Deneuve and Depardieu together again on film, Techine throws an engrossing curveball by giving us scene after scene in which Cecile and Antoine are clearly ill-at-ease with each other--and often with unpleasant results. CHANGING TIMES doesn't aim to please--instead, Techine shows the messy ways in which families and lovers interact, understanding that there are not always easy resolutions or happy endings. Depardieu's Andre is sad, but hopeful--an imposing figure with a soft heart--while Deneuve is allowed to gloriously look her age in a refined and restrained performance.
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): KLFDV3082
Credits

Gilbert Melki, Malik Zidi, Grard Depardieu, Gerard Depardieu, Tanya Lopert, Catherine Deneuve, Catherine Dorlac, Lubna Azabal
Critic Reviews

4.5 stars out of 5 -- "Director Andre Techine's affinity with his two leads has given his film two memorable characterizations that add some intriguing twists to the actors' established images."
Box Office
"Much of the movie's charm lies in its sheer vitality. Mr. Techine loves people and life, and every scene is filled with light, music, activity and a sensuous appreciation of landscape."
New York Times
"[A]ided by a wonderfully melancholy soundtrack....Techine makes cynicism the mere starting point for the sweet relief afforded by accepting not only what is not -- but what still could be."
Premiere