Fantastic!

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

I completely disagree with pvsp in his review. This film examines four forty-year old males and their relationships with women & with each other. As such, it is in turn, strong, profane, comic, & even moving. The plot is the kind I like--impossible to predict and feels very, very real.Most of the actors were unfamiliar to me, but they hit the mark every time. In particular, there is Bernard Campan (he plays the husband whose wife is unfaithful to him) who turns in a subtle, nuanced performance.Only criticism I would have is that, since each of the men has relationships with two women, it's hard to keep the female characters straight in one's mind. But that's a small caveat.I know I'm not the only person to feel positive towards this film, as they are currently filming a sequel in Paris !

These four men have so much in common that you'd be forgiven for thinking that they weren't a four-man football (soccer) team.They show the friendship that men can have: Secrets, lies, and truth, in measures enough to make the friendship viable, even necessary.The ensemble of women around them make the men look like angels, at times, until you see the signs of the men's individual and collective guilt about some of what goes on among this extended friendship group: The character that seems best settled into bachelorhood turns out to be truly a modern male lover; love turns to dust and back again; what seems a shallow, flippant fling turns into real love; the one you like at first turns out to be a misogynist after all, or is he? The film has a little of almost everyone in it, so it resonates for us all.

Prototype of the bad films, french can offer this days. The subject about the middle life crisis of urban executives is not only, very "Paris" oriented but also very poorly filmed. Cinematography and editing have no feeling, either of pictures or rhythm. The final product is not even close to the level of an average American TV-movie. Supposed take place in 2003, the film looks like it was made in the eighties. The story take months to start and then years to stop. Characters are very immature and so fr away from the real people they're supposed impersonating. The film is only saved by his lead cast. Bernard Campan is great, again, in an unexpected part. Darmon, Lavoine and Darroussin are, perfect, like always. Too bad, the director didn't take advantage of their work. Even with a weak script like that, Lelouch would have done a great job. It's a shame for french young cinematographers who can't get their projects done. Is this the only kind of films France has to offer nowadays ?

This movie came with perfect timing. I was currently viewing really awful movies and this was a welcome break. Characters were so well-developed, it almost feels like if I go to France, I will meet Jeff, Antoine, Manu or Alex on the streets. Everything was so simple but it touched the heart. That's why this movie works! Because it shows how life that's so simple can become complicated through the choices we make. Dialogue is also very witty and natural. Direction was superb. It was amazing how he can make a scene where the four of them simply stare off at the beach from a simple one to an emotion-filled scene. Superb acting from all of the actors. Everything was done nicely. I was so sad when the end credits rolled. I wanted more! I guess I'll just have to wait for more movies from Esposito.