Let’s say that “Coup de Chance” was a sympathetic light ending to a light and relaxing day at the beach – quite a perfect fit. It is the lightest we have seen until now and let’s admit it, once in a while, lightness does you good.
“Coup de Chance’s” fully French cast gives us a glimpse of Paris’ wealthy bourgeoisie milieu. Those that go to their country house (aka manor) during the weekend to hunt and who attend almost daily (and gossipy) upper class receptions and dinners. Once the setting is set, a little infidelity comes to spice it up and triggers a pretty inoffensive (and very Allen-esque) intrigue involving detectives, hitmen and an investigating mother/mother in law (the best of Valérie Lemercier I have seen in years).
Now. It is definitely not Allen’s best movie. It suffers a bit from weaker dialogues and a simplistic plot. But if one takes it as a “farce grotesque” (as I am sure it is intended, knowing the guy) it still does the trick for me. I’d honestly rather watch the Allen-style least discrete detective and most cliché Romanian hitmen than Michael Fassbender in a two hours monotonous monologue as in “The Killer”. At least you get a good laugh out of it.
Hence the conclusion is: perfectly watchable for me.
And yes, the Grand Hotel des Bains is still sadly empty and abandoned – its ghost is watching you on the Lido beach…
Klara's cinema 