I Got Life

I Got Life is a breezy French film about Aurore a middle-aged woman who is struggling with the menopause, personal ambitions and family issues. And men: men making crude, lewd comments, men acting like children, men being idiots. It’s looks like its been layered with a trowel but pulling the breeze blocks away reveals some subtlety and keen observations.

Aurore (Agnès Jaoui) is facing something of a mid-life crisis, with a daughter Marina pregnant, the other Lulu in love, she is a waitress at a restaurant, where her boss insists that she answers to Samantha. She is also going through the menopause with the flushes and not very useful discussions with the doctor.

She also helps out her estate agent best friend Mano (Pascale Arbillot) by pretending to be a client as people come to see the property. During one of these ruses, in comes a blast from the past Christophe ‘Totoche’ (Thibault de Montalembert) her lover before she met her husband (whom she is now divorcing).

Totoche works in the local hospital, and when Aurore accompanies her pregnant daughter Marina (Sarah Suco) for a routine scan, Totoche does it. Seeming to rekindle something, it also causes an argument with a very fragile Marina about mum’s motives for accompanying her seeing as she had earlier referred to Marina as a mistake!

One daft request too far from her manager – who now calls her Sam - and Aurore quits her job at the restaurant. Now looking for a job she meets with women in who appear to be in similar situations – in a couple of charmingly comic interview scenes. Aurore eventually gets a job helping out elderly women in a home. Meantime, her daughters have their own issues to deal with. But the ever effervescent Mano seems to have found someone – stemming from an earlier very funny scene. And Totoche? Well he just has to sort himself out.

Agnés Jaoui’s performance is an absolute delight bringing out Aurore’s intelligence and attractiveness as she juggles her life and emotions. Though it’s writ through with sadness as she dreams, daydreams and recollects less complicated days. Most vividly in a poignant dance sequence after a miserable evening.

Director (and co-writer Jean-Luc Gaget) Blandine Lenoir tackle the various feminist issues head on, with some élan and fun. The serious points aren’t buried in layers of dialogue; it’s direct and has a ring of authenticity about it.

I Got Life has a point to make and although this writer is no expert, by and large they appear to be made. Other than a couple of creeps the cast are generally very likeable and engaging. The women’s solidarity after all their travails is maybe a little predictable but that doesn’t take anything away from a warm, heartfelt film.