«We'll end up together»: the Cap Ferret band of friends3 reading minutes

Cinema Wednesdays - Loris S. Musumeci

«Fuck, I can't breathe!»

They came, they're all here: the entire Handkerchiefs is back. And let's face it: the nine years since the first film have not been kind to everyone. Everyone has grown older, of course, but everyone has accumulated disappointments and upheavals.

So much so that Max (François Cluzet) has cut himself off from the gang. He's worried and, above all, bankrupt. This dream house in Cap Ferret, where the gang of friends used to vacation every summer, Max now has to sell it. Reluctantly. He wants to be alone in his ordeal, especially as nobody knows about it. But then his new girlfriend decides to gather all his old friends at the house. The welcome is cold; tears flow; reproaches fly.

Those who liked it The little handkerchiefs will love its long-awaited sequel, that's for sure. But Guillaume Canet's two films have plenty to irritate. Not least because nothing happens. Everyone has their own mundane lives and the problems that go with them. Divorce, stress, alcohol, lack of love, professional instability and fleeting success. The banality of the facts is matched by the banality of the dialogue. The lines sound very natural, to the point where you feel you're hearing them every day. In this sense, the realism is decidedly successful. Even if there's always the risk of boredom.

But what probably annoys most is the very nature of their friendship. On the surface, it's all criticism and hypocrisy. Jealousy, humiliation, indifference and dishonesty. A sad statement about friendship, isn't it? Sad and oh so true! This is Canet's strong point. That's why We'll end up together just right. Because it's so relatable. Without praising pitiful friendships, the script offers viewers an abridged version of friendship in the 21st century.^th century in the West. For, while failings may occupy a major place, they do not dethrone the primordial place occupied by affection and fidelity.

Why, in fact, do they all get together? Because, quite simply, the Canet gang likes each other. Affection endures, loyalty springs from good memories, and friends need to be together, to talk about their little problems, or just to fool around a bit. That's what friendship is all about. Another reason for the film's success is its character development. If already in The little handkerchiefs the seeds of caricature within them, in the form of a We'll end up together they all become archetypes. Basically, they're like us, in that we're all caricatures. And that's just as well. Life's more fun that way.

Last but not least, the filming location cannot be overlooked. Cap Ferret has all the makings of a dream. However, a poor look at it would be unable to show it off to its best advantage. This is where Guillaume Canet shows his artistic sensibility. He has a taste for beautiful images. He wants to show them with delicacy. Above all, the beauty of the photography is not at odds with the vileness of the social subject matter. On the contrary, the friendship is supported by the majesty of the place. The beach is soothing. This band of friends is Cap Ferret. From Handkerchiefs to We'll end up together, There's a lot to look at, a lot to laugh about, a lot to be sad about, and a lot to think about: friends, those who are here and those who are gone.

Write to the author: loris.musumeci@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Agora Films