L'amour c'est mieux que la vie
The fiftieth(!) feature film by Claude Lelouch (Un Homme Et Une Femme) is a nostalgic comedy about life, friendship, love, and death.
When they left prison together, Gérard, Ary and Philippe swore to remain honest from then on. Twenty years later, Gérard hears that he does not have long to live. His two friends want to give him a last romance, to honour Gérard’s life motto: love is better than life. Without Gérard's knowledge, Ary and Philippe hire an expensive escort girl.
Ever since his feature debut LE PROPRE DE L'HOMME (1961), Claude Lelouch has always shown a sharp eye for the battle of the sexes. The highlight in his oeuvre remains UN HOMME ET UNE FEMME (1966) with Jean-Louis Trintignant, who died earlier this year. L’AMOUR C'EST MIEUX QUE LA VIE obviously cannot compete with this classic, but there are still enough moments when everything falls into place and the now 84-year-old veteran director shows his class.