Review: Colours of Time Blends Monet and Mamma Mia in Charming French Comedy
Cédric Klapisch’s new film, originally titled La Venue de L’Avenir (The Arrival of the Future), is reviewed as an entertaining sentimental fantasy that intertwines the Belle Époque with modern-day France. The narrative follows Adèle, a fictional young woman who travels to Paris to find her errant mother, Odette, while leaving her countryside home near Le Havre. Her story is ingeniously intercut with the adventures of her diverse descendants in the present day. These relatives are contacted by lawyers regarding a property development plan that threatens Adèle’s derelict cottage. As they explore the dusty home, they uncover historical secrets, including photos and letters linking their ancestor to cultural icons like Claude Monet and Félix Nadar. The plot involves a Mamma Mia-style paternity puzzle and culminates in a surreal climax where the descendants experience a psychoactive journey back in time. While the review notes the film’s un-subversive, museum-gift-shop view of art, it praises the comic gusto, charming performances, particularly by Suzanne Lindon, and the clever editing between past and present timelines.
Wire timeline
Review: Colours of Time Blends Monet and Mamma Mia in Charming French Comedy
Cédric Klapisch’s new film, originally titled La Venue de L’Avenir (The Arrival of the Future), is reviewed as an entertaining sentimental fantasy that intertwines the Belle Époque with modern-day France. The narrative follows Adèle, a fictional young woman who travels to Paris to find her errant mother, Odette, while leaving her countryside home near Le Havre. Her story is ingeniously intercut with the adventures of her diverse descendants in the present day. These relatives are contacted by lawyers regarding a property development plan that threatens Adèle’s derelict cottage. As they explore the dusty home, they uncover historical secrets, including photos and letters linking their ancestor to cultural icons like Claude Monet and Félix Nadar. The plot involves a Mamma Mia-style paternity puzzle and culminates in a surreal climax where the descendants experience a psychoactive journey back in time. While the review notes the film’s un-subversive, museum-gift-shop view of art, it praises the comic gusto, charming performances, particularly by Suzanne Lindon, and the clever editing between past and present timelines.
The Guardian