Directed by:
Hugo GélinCinematography:
Nicolas MassartComposer:
Rob SimonsenCast:
Omar Sy, Clémence Poésy, Antoine Bertrand, Gloria Colston, Anna Cottis, Barrie Martin, Attila G. Kerekes, Ashley Walters, Clémentine Célarié, Alice David (more)Plots(1)
Samuel (Omar Sy, The Intouchables) enjoys an A-list, hedonistic lifestyle on the sun-drenched beaches of the Côte d’Azur. Life is good, until the day former lover Kristin (Clémence Poésy) arrives out of nowhere and deposits the fruits of their tryst – an infant daughter, Gloria - in his care. (Palace Films)
Videos (14)
Reviews (9)
The French have managed to do something again: to arouse every possible emotion in a person. You'll laugh, you'll be moved, and you'll also be furious and will feel like killing someone. I think the anger got the better of me. Some people, in this case Gloria's mother, don't have an ounce of shame in them. She has no shame, she has a lot of balls for just walking in and claiming something she has absolutely no right to, or I guess she does things according to the French justice system. Yeah, that's what she'd like, to put the baby down, leave the most challenging years of parenting to the father, and then walk in years later and "hey there, I'm your mommy, so now I'm taking you, ok?" It is a beautiful film, with an important message, but I’m still angry :)
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Compared to the Mexican film Instructions Not Included, Two Is a Family has a much better cast. Especially the likable Omar Sy and the charming Gloria Colston deserve credit for the fact that the plot moves along nicely. It is not as funny as the Mexican film, but the dramatic storyline is skillfully interwoven with slightly comedic elements, while the atmosphere is perfectly underscored by a very good soundtrack. Which I definitely find more appealing than some big spectacle. (70%)
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For me, Omar Sy is probably the foremost French actor of family comedies with a hint of contemporary drama. Any movie that he appears in is a joy to watch. By the way, the homage to Eddie Murphy was quite appropriate since they look awfully alike. And with his positive approach to acting along with his personality, he couldn’t possibly spoil a movie, including this one. Two Is a Family is a beautifully filmed human, amusing story that’s worth waiting for. It's a bit of a drag, but you get such a pleasant, warm feeling watching the movie that you don't really care, because this kind sense of humor can caress your soul.
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I have nothing against bittersweet, moving films, but Two Is a Family is a manipulative and superficial calculation that is fundamentally unpleasantly torn between trying to find a serious relationship-parenting probe in the style of contemporary European dramas, and an inappropriately chosen overflow of Hollywood comedy stylization. Both of these contradictory approaches interfere with each other. The result seems as if the creators want to shoot a new version of Kramer vs. Kramer, but to make it come off to the audience more like Big Daddy with Adam Sandler, which reliably kills any impression of realism. The first quarter of an hour is basically great, but the rest is an artificial spasm that is too bitter for comedy and too flat, transparent and unbelievable for drama.
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The French know how to make dramas and comedies, and they are also good at mixing genres. Two Is a Family is more on a serious note, but it also features many humorous moments, especially provided by Antoine Bertrand as Bernie. During the first two acts I thought I would give the film a solid three stars, but in the last act it all went up a notch and in the end the film played a lot on my emotions, and I ate it up hook, line and sinker. Two Is a Family isn't a comedy of the kind that will have you rolling with laughter, it's more of a humorously paced story of a father and daughter trying to live their life together to the fullest despite more than one obstacle.
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