THE TROUBLE WITH YOU: A Triumphant French Comedy

The new comedy from director Pierre Salvadori, The Trouble With You, may have premiered last year as part of the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, but it is only now making its way to international cinemas. It may have been a long time coming but the film is certainly worth the wait.

Adèle Haenel plays detective Yvonne, widow of the late police chief of the town. Her late husband Jean Santi (Vincent Elbaz) is seen as a hero by the adoring public, and most importantly their young son Théo (Octave Bossuet) who laps up the adventurous stories Yvonne tells him of his father. When Yvonne discovers that Jean was not exactly the man everyone thought he was, she sets out to right his wrong and help Antoine (Pio Marmaï), a man her husband helped falsely imprison. Antoine, it turns out, is not exactly innocent either having embraced the criminal life, and screwball antics ensue as Yvonne attempts to keep him out of trouble.

Accomplished Genre Blending

There is a vein of slapstick as well as the absurd that runs throughout the film, and these comedic elements are certainly Salvadori’s and the movie’s major strength. Consistently the movie is laugh-out-loud funny whether it’s a confessing murderer who just can’t get the attention of the uninterested police officers, or Antoine’s disastrous attempted robbery of a confused cashier at a corner shop.

Salvadori’s movie also handles a difficult blend of numerous genres extremely well. The movie opens with an action set piece as Jean raids a drug den, which is replayed and restructured throughout the movie. The action and the stunts in particular are better than they have any right to be, and credit must be given to the many stunt performers on the movie.

The film dips its toe into rom-com territory too, and despite this blend of genre, the film’s tone is excellently balanced, shifting from comedic to dramatic without feeling jarring in the slightest. An excellent cast can be thanked for executing the hilarious script and keeping the film well-balanced.

A French Star

Over the last ten years Adèle Haenel has been working vigorously to establish her name, and now she is one of the true stars of French cinema. This year she attended Cannes with Céline Sciamma’s highly-regarded Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Quentin Dupieux’s Deerskin. She is on a real hot streak, turning in another excellent performance in The Trouble With You. She shows real comedic talent throughout, and imbues Yvonne and the story with the heart it needs when necessary.

Haenel shows great chemistry with her co-stars Marmaï and Damien Bonnard. Both men deliver strong performances too. Marmaï excels in his comedic moments, and toes the line well when a more serious tone is needed. Bonnard plays Louis, a colleague whose adoration for Yvonne is plain to see. He does equally well to keep Louis constantly endearing in his quest for Yvonne’s attention. It could have felt awkward and contrived but Bonnard and Haenel keep the interactions sweet enough to succeed.

We must not forget Audrey Tautou, who after starring in a number of Salvadori’s comedies over the years, is only given a supporting role here as Antoine’s partner, Agnès. She’s given less to do, but when she is on the screen her comedic talent shines, and she almost steals the whole film. At one point, Agnès does not hear Antoine make his way down the path to their house after being released from prison, and so makes the bemused ex-con replay the scene for her again and again to huge comedic effect.

However strong her co-stars are, this is ultimately Haenel’s film. She is great as a woman who is spiralling and has no idea what is the right thing to do. In the past, she has established how strong she is in dramatic films, and here Haenel proves she can adapt and shift seamlessly into a comedic role.

A Story That Plays With Expectations

Unlike many comedies, especially ones with a romantic tinge, The Trouble With You is not a predictable tale. Haenel’s character is well and truly winging it and we feel the impact of this with the twists and turns in the story. For the most part these work. A few of the moments as Yvonne flits between the two men, the ex-con and her infatuated police colleague, feel a little unusual, but perhaps can be explained away as consistent with the character’s uncertainty. These are only minor gripes with what is otherwise a fantastic film.

The Trouble With You: Conclusion

The Trouble With You is simply a very funny film with a very large heart. The film was a critical and box office success in France and it’s easy to see why. The film has great central performances and a bagful of laugh-out-loud moments. It is a big crowd-pleasing comedy that truly delivers.

Are you looking forward to Salvadori’s new comedy? Leave a comment below. 

The Trouble With You does not currently have a UK or US release date at the time of writing.