Two of a Kind

French comedies tend to follow the same old-fashioned lock and key by featuring popular comedians in crazy situations ready to make a wide audience smile. The distributor SND seems to specialize in this type of film, which is quickly seen and forgotten. However, it happens unfortunately too rarely that a comedy stands out from the crowd because of the care taken to embroider around an original idea. In the case of Two of a Kind (Twins but not too many), the central idea comes from an article announcing that there was a one in a million chance of giving birth to twins of different colors (one black, the other white). From there, the two directors Olivier Ducray and Wilfried Méance, assisted by the scriptwriter Jean-Paul Bathany, wrote a comedy dealing with adoption in different environments, as well as with integration and politics. The result is a perfectly mastered comedy carried by a trio of actors Ahmed Sylla, Bertrand Usclat and Pauline Clément.

A good comedy must reflect our society and highlight the many failures of our system and in this sense Two of a Kind is constantly aiming at the right thing by broaching the current politicians for the most part of simple commercials able to sell the dream without really having the means to do it. In the same way our society too often puts forward the appearance without caring about our real qualities. The adequacy between the two main characters having grown in different environments shows us that we are not all equal at birth. It is a sad observation of a society that keeps people in social castes and does not allow some to leave their social environment.

Anthony Girard (Ahmed Sylla) was raised in a working-class environment in Angoulême. He did not know his real parents but was raised by the man who ran a self-help center in his town, Paul Giard (Jean-Luc Bideau). While he is repairing an appliance at one of his clients, Gerald Morand (Nicolas Marié, perfect as in each of his appearances), he forgets his watch and must return to his client's house to retrieve it, but unfortunately things get out of hand and they end up at the police station and after a DNA test learns that he has a twin brother, Grégoire Beaulieu (Bertrand Usclat) While he is black, his twin brother is not only white but also a politician in the middle of a campaign in the city where he lives. The explosive encounter between the two men will allow them to learn from each other and specially to find their real mother who abandoned them at birth. Gregoire Beaulieu, in the middle of the countryside, benefits from the help of his assistant, the beautiful Noémie Vignon (Pauline Clément), who will have an important role to play between his two brothers, who at first glance are in opposition.

Two of a Kind is the perfect example of what a good comedy should be and it's no coincidence that it won the audience award at the Alpe d'Huez festival. Far from following the example of many comedies that bet everything on a cast and neglect the writing of a too predictable script, the film succeeds as much in making us as in softening us, especially during a beautiful scene in which the two brothers meet their real mother. The quality of a good script also allows, as is the case here, to have excellent supporting actors such as Isabelle Gélinas, Jean-Luc Bideau, Gérard Jugnot, Nicolas Marié. By making us go from laughter to more melancholic moments, Two of a Kind (Twins but not too many) is one of the must-see comedies of September to discover at the cinema.

Finally, we note that this film will be presented at The American French film festival which will be held in Los Angeles from October 10 to 16. If you're in Los Angeles, don't miss the screening on Saturday, October 15 at the Renoir Theater at 5:00 pm, followed by a conversation with the writer and director Wilfried Meance and the actor Bertrand Usclat.

Two of a Kind
Directed by Olivier Ducray, Wilfried Méance
Produced by Antoine Pezet, Jerôme Corcos
Written by Jean-Paul Bathany, Olivier Ducray, Wilfried Méance
Starring Ahmed Sylla, Bertrand Usclat, Pauline Clément, Isabelle Gélinas, Jean-Luc Bideau, Gérard Jugnot, Nicolas Marié, Jean-Michel Lahmi, Claude Perron, Amélie Prevot, Marc Riso, Medi Sadoun, Philippe Chaine, François Bureloup
Music by Alexis Rault
Cinematography : Denis Rouden
Edited by Olivier Michaut-Alchourroun 
Production companies : Nac Films
Distributed by SND (France)
Release date : January 20, 2022 (Alpe d'huez Festival), September 28, 2022 (France)
Running time : 98 minutes

Seen on September 26, 2022 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 2 seat A19

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