Icarus Films shows even better instincts than usual in releasing the DVD of the 2015 French comedy "The Sweet Escape" on May 15, 2018. This tale of newly turned 50 year-old graphic artist Michel acting on his midlife crisis fantasy hits home at this time of year when the weather is FINALLY improving after a seemingly endless winter, many of us attend high school and college reunions, and adolescent and post-adolescent offspring are graduating and getting married.
Writer/director Bruno Podalydes stars as Michel, who outwardly leads a sweet life. He has a good job in a decent work environment. His home life revolves around pretty, loving, and supportive wife Rachelle (Sandrine Kiberlain).
Rachelle throwing a surprise 50th birthday party for Michel supports the theory that no good deed goes unpunished. He does not respond well at the outset, and things go downhill from there. This includes his annoyance regarding a thoughtful and generous gift.
Parallel action at work randomly triggers a thought that propels much of the action as such things tend to do in reel and real-life. A game with colleagues pops the word "kayak" into the head of Michel. This leads to online research regarding that watercraft. He then takes the next logical step of purchasing one and associated gear despite a complete lack of experience.
Rachelle is figuratively (but not literally) on board when she learns of the plan of Michel to emulate Lewis and Clark by making an ambitious journey down a river to the ocean; he literally ignores her when she points out that trip requires far more time than the length of his vacation.
The universality that begins with acting on a mid-life crisis continues with Michel not making it very far before stopping at a riverside restaurant. The lure (pun intended) of a savory meal, two friendly women, and a nice spot to pitch his tent (no pun intended) causes him to prolong his stay. A hilariously aborted attempt to leave only proves that absinthe makes the heart grow fonder (pun intended).
This being a French comedy (and mostly occurring in a Midsummer Night's Dream setting) almost ensures how things develop between Michel and his widowed hostess and her employee who is not over a broken heart. These interactions involving "The Wall of Jericho" from the classic film "It Happened One Night" is almost as entertaining as one seduction involving creative use of Post-It Notes.
The second effort to leave the essential Garden of Eden initially goes better than the first until Michel takes a symbolic wrong turn that leads to more blatant symbolism. This adventure further illustrates the extent to which we are developing wetlands.
The awesome "B story" throughout all this is a hilarious battle between Michel and a cranky old fisherman. Watching the hostilities escalate is HILARIOUS and climaxes in one of the best chases in any movie.
All of this concludes with an ending that has ample ambiguity to prompt hours of discussion. At one extreme is the possibility that Michel falls at the higher end of the Walter Mitty scale.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Escape" is encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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