Alan Ayckbourn Movies

A handful of characters struggle to hold on to relationships with the people they care for in this collaboration between playwright Alan Ayckbourn and filmmaker Alain Resnais. Dan (Lambert Wilson) has recently finished up a hitch in the Army, but rather than deal with his emotional issues, Dan prefers to get drunk. While he barely communicates with his girlfriend, Nicole (Laura Morante), she's convinced they will still marry and opts to ignore his obvious problems. Lionel (Pierre Arditi) is a bartender who has become increasingly isolated and cut off from his friends as he looks after his father, Arthur. Arthur, however, is in failing health and has little appreciation of his son's sacrifices. Thierry (André Dussollier) is a real-estate salesman who has fallen for one of his co-workers, Charlotte (Sabine Azéma); however, Charlotte's mild-mannered exterior hides a personality that thrives on emotional gamesmanship. And Gaëlle (Isabelle Carré), Thierry's sister, is lonely and looking for a relationship, but her efforts bring her neither joy nor companionship. Coeurs (aka Petites Peurs Partagées) received its world premiere at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Since Smoking and No Smoking, though they are separate films, were conceived (and shown) in tandem, and since they are both based on a closely connected set of plays by the English dramatist Alan Ayckbourn, they are considered together here. When the two films were shown in France, viewers invariably reported preferring the second one they saw, whichever one that was. The original plays covered eight separate stories, which have been pared down to three each for these movies. At a certain point in the story of each movie, the three female characters (all played by Sabine Azema) and the three male characters (all played by Pierre Arditi) have their lives skilfully recapped in terms of "what might have happened" if they made or failed to make certain choices. For example, No Smoking focuses chiefly on the relationship between the mild-mannered Miles Coombes and his infinitely more aggressive and ambitious wife Rowena. Reviewers were overwhelmed by the amazing fact that not only did director Alain Resnais successfully carry off this complex premise twice, but that he succeeded in creating powerful entertainments each time. In fact, the two films have begun showing up on "must-see" lists all over the place. In 1993, competing together as one film, they won most of the major awards (Césars) of the French Academy of Cinema. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Alan Ayckbourn's riotously funny play about a small-time acting troupe in the sticks is brought to the screen by director Michael Winner. Jeremy Irons plays Guy Jones, a mild-mannered flunky for an electronics firm who finds himself transferred to the British seaside town of Scarsborough. Bereft after the death of his wife and seeking a diversion, he tries out for a local amateur opera company's production of The Beggar's Opera. This local company is lorded over by the scabrous and slightly insane Welshman Dafydd Ap Llewellyn (Anthony Hopkins). Dafydd is in a constant rage because of his resentment at having to deal with these rank amateurs who merely try out for his production to pass the time. But his ranting and raving dwindles the number of his cast members with the result that Guy's part in the play is forced to grow larger and more important. But as Dafydd snorts and fumes, he is oblivious to the fact that Guy's increased stature in the production has made him a local lothario. Not only does Guy find himself in the passionate embraces of Fay (Jenny Seagrove), who plays a prostitute in the production, but he also falls into the arms of Dafydd's frumpy and frustrated wife Hannah (Prunella Scales). ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi