When
Claude Berri's 1977 film
Un moment d'égarement was first released in the USA (not until 1981), as
TrustMovies recalls, it was not met with much enthusiasm from our cultural guardians. Its theme of inter-generational sex (as well as caring and connection) between an older man and the daughter of his best friend proved too much for our hypocritical taboos.
Now
Jean-François Richet (of the
Mesrine movies,
Blood Father) and the remake of
Assault on Precinct 13) has remade the original (which he's dedicated to M. Berri) with an updated version, also titled in English
ONE WILD MOMENT. The good news: It is
very well done indeed.
M. Richet, shown at left, has cast his movie extremely well, using two of France's most popular and talented actors in the "dad" roles --
Vincent Cassel and
François Cluzet (shown above and below, with M. Cluzet on the right) -- and with two young, beautiful and talented new actresses in the daughter roles. Although the director (who also co-adapted, with
Lisa Azuelos, Berri's original screenplay) more often makes crime movies, he clearly has a knack for comedy, as well. Richet's blending of the humorous and the heartfelt with that age-old generation gap and a nice touch of feminism is quite expert. Further, as funny and crazy as things get, he never allows them to reach the point of unreal.
One Wild Moment stays grounded at all times, thanks hugely to the performances of Cassel -- who proves lighter on his feet here than I have seen him in years; the actor is always good, but he's usually given darker roles to play -- and Cluzet, who gets the more unpleasant of the two dad roles and runs with it to completion.
The two daughters are played by newcomer
Lola Le Lann (above) and
Alice Isaaz (below). Both are excellent, though Ms Le Lann all but steals the entire film, thanks to her great beauty and a talent that is not far behind. She's a knockout in all respects, controlling the movie -- pretty much as she does Cassel's character -- with ease, grace, beauty, charm and a whole lot of willpower.
Because the sex is initiated via the girl and not the dad (who tries his best to resist, again and again), the carnality goes down a lot easier. And it would be hypocritical to imagine that young girls do not sometimes feel this attraction. Couple that to their usual sense of entitlement (particularly when they are as gorgeous as our heroine here) and you have a recipe for an eventual explosion.
How that explosion happens is brought to fine fruition by Richet and his cast. To his movie's credit, its aftermath is
only suggested rather than insisted upon.
One Wild Moment is yet another example of why and how the French handle the intricacies of oddball romance and sex better than just about any other culture.
Frem
Under the Milky Way and running 105 minutes, the movie makes its U.S. debut via home video tomorrow, Tuesday, September 25, available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox, Microsoft, Vudu, Comcast, Cox, Charter, Spectrum, RCN and additional VOD platforms.
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