Tellement proches (So Happy Together)

[pro-bassoonist]

Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano's Tellement proches a.k.a So Happy Together (2009) is set to be released in Gallic territories on December 9. Courtesy of Fox-France.

Variety:

The characters just won't shut up in "So Happy Together...," which wouldn't be such a problem if they didn't insist on bellowing almost every line of this obnoxious French comedy-drama about a wackily dysfunctional family. Milking orthodox Judaism and minority doctors for laughs while cranking up the volume to unnecessarily high decibels, this unfunny but slickly commercial effort from writer-directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache ("Our Happy Days") could score on home turf June 17, though offshore prospects look nil.

Thirtysomething man-child Alain (Vincent Elbaz) is a bad influence on his young son, to the frustration of his more sensible wife, Nathalie (Isabelle Carre). But Alain blames their familial discord on Nathalie's preening yuppie sister Catherine (Audrey Dana) and her on-the-make lawyer husband Jean-Pierre (Francois-Xavier Demaison). Rounding out this unholy clan is a third sister, Roxane (Josephine de Meaux), a screaming hormonal nightmare who stalks strapping black doctor Bruno (Omar Sy) in hopes that he'll impregnate her. Initially it looks as though Bruno will be the pic's exotically sane outsider, but no, he gets to yell, too. Call it equal-opportunity irritation.

Camera (color), Remy Chevrin; editor, Dorian Rigal-Ansous; music, Frederic Talgorn; production designer, Herve Gallet. Reviewed at City of Lights, City of Angels Film Festival, Los Angeles, April 24, 2009. (Also in Cannes Film Festival -- market.) Original title: Tellement proches. French, English dialogue. Running time: 100 MIN.

Pro-B