Times Have Been Better
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Movie Reviews of Times Have Been Better
Movie Review: Times Have Been Better (Le Ciel sur la tête) (2006)
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie is not "exactly" a gay romance, since Jeremy, the son who comes out to his family, drops the news and then leaves the family to deal with it alone. Both parents have always considered themself "open", but probably since the "bad" things always happened to other people. The revelation of Jeremy's homosexuality mines their happy ground. So this is more the story of how they comes out for who really they are. The side romance between Jeremy and Marc is really nice, I wouldn't mind to have a movie only for their own.Movie Review: I Remember Mama... and Papa... and my brother.
Summary: 5 Stars
Honest and at times raw with emotion. This is a tale all families, even those without a gay member, should see. It is my hope word of this film will filter into homes with families who do not talk with (as opposed to at) each other, and loved ones will take a serious look at what it is to love someone instead of loving who you want them to be.
This is not your typical coming out movie. It is so much more.
Movie Review: DVD - Times Have Been Better
Summary: 5 Stars
Times Have Been Better was an excellent coming out story. I highly recommend it as it is one of the better gay films. It is a funny tear jerker with a very interesting story line.Movie Review: Goes way beyond typical "coming out" story
Summary: 4 Stars
In the French made-for-TV film "Le Ciel sur la tête" ("Times Have Been Better") (2006), Jérémy is 30 year old son of liberal upper middle class parents Guy and Rosine, who comes home in order to tell his parents about his impressive promotion at his work in Paris ... and to finally tell them that he is gay. His younger brother, Robin, who has known about his brother's sexuality for years, warns him that they are going to be stunned by the news, but neither one of them could have anticipated just how it would affect the relationships between each one of the four family members.
I found this to be a refreshing change on the usual "coming out" tale, on several levels. Obviously, the son is no longer a child, but an adult who finished college and is a success in the business world, but whom has been procrastinating about telling his parents until he was in a relationship, which he is now. And, from that point, the gay son actually becomes more of a supporting character, as the film concentrates more on the resulting tension between the parents and also the younger son, who unfortunately decides around the same time to postpone college to take a temp job for a film studio. While the initial troubles between the parents seem to have been triggered by the revelation of the son's sexuality, it also soon becomes obvious that the problems are buried much deeper than that, and have existed through most of their marriage. The turmoil of the relationship also alienates good friends of both Guy and Rosine, and pushes Rosine to seek out advice and support from her gay co-worker, whom she doesn't particularly like. The film is a light but intelligent reminder about how important communication is in any relationship, and how being "open minded" is often tougher than it seems.
DVD has brief "making of" featurette (dubbed in English, although the film itself is in French with subtitles, and may need some pausing and replays, since the dialogue comes through pretty fast at times.) and photo gallery. I give it four stars out of five.
Movie Review: Opening the Closet Door: Perils and Rewards
Summary: 4 Stars
TIMES HAVE BEEN BETTER (Le Ciel sur la tête) is a polished little French 'made for television' film that holds its own on every level in the theater and on DVD. The issues it tackles are many, not just the main topic of coming out to a family. This is one of the better, more fully rounded examinations of the contemporary family in recent years. Based on a story and screenplay by Nicholas Mercier and directed by Régis Musset, this is a sophisticated comedy with some sensitive dramatic overtones presented by a fine cast and superb production values.
Jérémy (Arnaud Binard) is the wholly successful business executive son of Rosine (the amazingly fine actress Charlotte de Turckheim) and Guy (Bernard Le Coq) and big brother to Robin (Olivier Guéritée). When he pays a surprise visit to his home for an impromptu brunch, his family is in fine spirits until the reason for the surprise visit is made known: Jérémy announces to his parents that he is gay and though Robin has known this fact for some time and Rosine has suspected it, the news hits the family unit by storm. Jérémy returns to Paris to his partner Marc (Pierre Deny) and while relieved that he can now live his life in the open, Jérémy frets about the trauma to his family unit. Robin gathers the courage to rebel against going to college in favor of following his dream of being involved with cinema, Guy goes into a true depression, and Rosine decides to face the new life of her son, traveling to Paris to meet her son's home and friends and fresh outlook. While in Paris Rosine discovers her own suppressed needs and with the courage Jérémy has shown, she is able to return to her home an altered person.
The cast is very attractive and very fine and story flows so naturally, completely without cliché, that the movie becomes more a study of human behavior than of a routine 'coming out' movie. Well worth the viewer's time. In French with English subtitles. Grady Harp, November 07