Finding humour in the growing pains that can make life difficult
The title is supposed to be ironic. Rémy Bezançon’s A Happy Event is a French dramatic comedy about a couple struggling through pregnancy and the birth of their first child. But it’s a little too cute for its own good, never quite attaining the right balance of perky and true-to-life that it attempts to strike.
Based on a bestselling true story by Eliette Abecassis, it stars Louise Bourgoin (Les aventures extraordinaires d’adèle Blanc-sec) as Barbara, a comely video rental store customer who begins a whimsical flirtation with clerk Nicolas (Pio Marmaï). She gets his attention by renting films with suggestive titles, to which he responds in kind.
Soon they are cavorting about town doing all the romantic things you see in montages of other romantic comedies.
Things get serious when she gets pregnant. Initially it’s supposed to be a secret, but that bubble is burst when Nicolas mentions it to his mom.
Barbara’s mom catches on quick and is soon harassing her about her suitability for motherhood, whether they’ve thought of a name and other such annoyances.
To make matters worse, she’s supposed to be writing her PHD. She’s soon plagued by an array of clichéd problems, from nausea to exhaustion, an overactive sex drive and boyfriend who doesn’t understand her.
After the birth (which is an ordeal unto itself), it gets worse.
The baby cries, Nicolas gets increasingly distant while his meddling mom tries to come between them. It’s all delivered with a light and giddy tone that is presumably supposed to make this a barrel of laughs.
Instead, it simply comes across as incongruous. Bourgoin is vibrant in the lead role, but the camera focuses too much on her curves and pouty lips for us to take her seriously, while the awkwardly adapted script gives her little to work with.
There’s a done-to-death tendency in French films, dating back to Jean-luc Godard, to use narration and a snappy pace in an attempt to appear witty and profound no matter what the situation.
Godard could do it with his eyes closed. Others try to measure up, with mixed results. In this case, the forced whimsical tone feels out of touch with the events portrayed on screen.
As a result, we stop caring. Yeah, you fell in love, had a baby and it was dramatic, maybe, or was it funny? Unfortunately, this film is neither believable nor witty enough to be either. By glossing over the reality, the humour falls flat and we end up with a half-baked bun that should have stayed in the oven a while longer.