‘Dance with life’: now the mambo is French

Despite being a true exporter of funny and intelligent comedies that end up being remakes in several international markets (recent examples are ‘Papá o mama’, ‘La Wedding Planner’ or ‘Attention au départ!’), French cinema also adapts titles from other countries and not only have the advantage of offering a different perspective, but also to export them to other international markets, as happened with ‘Las fantasias’, ‘A tall man’ or ‘The game’. Now, Comes ‘Baila con la vida’, remake of the British comedy ‘Bailando la vida’.

‘Dance with Life’ takes advantage of the patterns established by the original English version to bring the same French humor closer together, in several ways. To start, The age of its protagonists is not that surprising, which allows for more prejudices to be broken about the British premise. On this occasion Sandra, the protagonist, played by Michèle Laroque, sees her world collapse but more for the years in which she was married and not so much because she feels she has the opportunity to reinvent herself and enjoy life after turning 60. .

This difference allows the film to be much more spontaneous; thanks also to the charisma of Michèle Laroquewho also directs and co-writes the film, who already has experience in leading female roles that show the vitality and path of middle-aged women, has well demonstrated this in ‘Tenor’, ‘Retirement: Impossible’ or ‘ A sparkling woman ‘. Form a formidable tandem with Isabelle Nanty, who leaves the usual supporting roles to take a lead role at the height of his energy. It’s great to see both actresses sharing the footage.

A comedy full of vitality with two formidable actresses

To a lesser extent, Thierry Lhermitte and Patrick Timsit also stand out, with roles with a dramatic background that allows us to see the more emotional side of the mature man. The subplot of Timsit stands out above all, which makes visible the impossibility of many couples to rebuild their lives in emotional limbo, since their spouses are not dead, but mentally it is as if they were. This aspect gives greater depth to a film that never abandons its spirit of well-being.

‘Danza con la vita’ has the Provencal spirit and the more spontaneous character of French society, which allows it to be a lighter and more energetic version of its British counterpart. He manages to rise to the challenge thanks to top-level actors, who get involved and convey that ‘buenrollera’ atmosphere that makes the whole film seem with a smile on their face. Once again, French cinema stands as a bastion of those ‘bourgeois’ productions that claim their space on the big screen.

Note: 7

The best: The energy transmitted by its tandem of leading actresses, the fabulous Michèle Laroque and Isabelle Nanty.

Worse: He is too light in his conflicts, visually he approaches the show in some scenes.