Le tourbillon de la vie

Le tourbillon de la vie
Original title:Le tourbillon de la vie
Director:Olivier Treiner
Release:Vod
Running time:120 minutes
Release date:Not communicated
Rating:
Les grands tournants de notre existence sont parfois dus à de petits hasards. Si Julia n’avait pas fait tomber son livre ce jour-là, aurait-elle croisé Paul ? Ou sa vie aurait-elle pris une toute autre direction ? Nos vies sont faites d’infinies possibilités. Pour Julia, il suffit d’un petit rien tellement de fois ; tous ces chemins qu’elle aurait pu suivre, toutes ces femmes qu’elle aurait pu être… Choisit-on son destin ? A quoi tiennent l’amour ou le bonheur ?

Mulder's Review

While some directors look for narrative and visual simplicity in their first film, we must admit that Olivier Treiner's first film is a risky but successful bet. Le tourbillon de la vie brilliantly illustrates the theme of chance and events that can have an important or not repercussion on the future. By putting in parallel like a multiverse the possible evolution of the characters following different choices, the film succeeds in creating by a clever editing a gripping story and interpreted by the sublime and excellent actress Lou de Laâge (Le ball des folles (2021), Boite noire (2020), Blanche comme neige (2019)...) and carried by a cast of supporting characters all perfectly played by Raphaël Personnaz, Isabelle Carré, Grégory Gadebois.

The scenario co-written by the director and Camille Treiner is universal as it touches on many themes such as family, death, the evolution of the couple, the balance between private life and work. It touches us by its refusal of any sensationalism and to remain true permanently. Where many French films tend to accentuate the features and offer us stories already seen and told, Olivier Treiner's first film does not lack rhythm and fascinates us by its editing putting in parallel the multiverse. The film also highlights the importance of music to open up to the outside world and to find that same balance.

Julia Feynman (Lou de Laâge) is destined for a prolific career as a pianist, both because of her father, Pierre Feynnman (Grégory Gadebois), and because of her consuming passion for music since childhood. However, the choices she makes in life will propel her towards different futures, whether she becomes a music teacher or a great pianist, whether the men in her life change according to the choices she makes, the film offers us to follow her evolution through different. What could have quickly become scenes repeating themselves without any creativity turns out to have a real musicality and manages to capture our attention without any false note.

If the film Le tourbillon de la vie proves to be so fascinating, it is thanks to the presence of Lou de Laâge who simply imposes herself as a great actress. She brings to her character all her strength and fragility. Whether her character is a wife putting her work before her private life, a woman betrayed or in struggle against her parents and refusing to become their instrument of social success, Lou de Laâge is perfect in each of her scenes. 

Far from being a simple melodrama without any real soul, this film easily stands out as one of the best French films seen this year. Certainly, Olivier Treiner signs a successful first film and we are waiting impatiently to discover his next

Le tourbillon de la vie
Directed by Olivier Treiner
Produced by Wassim Béji, Stéphane Celerier
Written by Olivier Treiner, Camille Treiner 
With Lou de Laâge, Raphaël Personnaz, Isabelle Carré, Grégory Gadebois, Esther Garrel, Sébastien Pouderoux, Denis Podalydès, Aliocha Schneider... 
Music : Raphaël Treiner
Director of photography : Laurent Tangy
Editing : Valérie Deseine 
Production company: WY Productions
Distributed by SND (France)
Release date: December 21, 2022 (France)
Running time : 120 minutes

Seen on December 26, 2022 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 12 seat A19

Mulder's Mark: