AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT

In Switzerland, at the whim of the court, every citizen can be assigned a live-in foster child.

When brilliant university professor and part-time author Jean-Pierre (Jean-Claude Brialy) learns from the local judge that he will henceforth be responsible for Antoine, a recalcitrant teenager (Julien Bravo), disaster looms. To the eyes of the world (and the justice system), Jean-Pierre is happily married to a woman. The truth, however, is that for years he has been spinning out love’s sweet dream with Armando, his masseur! Since coming out is definitely not an option, Jean-Pierre tries by all possible means to discourage the judge, but this only triggers a prickly investigation into his suitability.

With only one solution to avoid losing face, he gets back in touch with Alice (Sabine Haudepin), his wife, or rather, the friend he once married as a favor. But when young Antoine takes the initiative and moves in, Jean-Pierre’s life goes into meltdown. Faced with a hysterical Armando, a depressive Alice and a rather charming kid, Jean-Pierre attempts - with great difficulty - to salvage something from the maelstrom of misunderstandings wreaking havoc on his private life.

Special Note: this is one of the last films starring the late, beloved French actor Jean-Claude Brialy. He won a César Award (French equivalent of the Oscar®) for his role in André (THE WITNESSES, WILD REEDS) Techiné’s THE INNOCENTS. And he acted in films by Claude Chabrol, Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Eric Rohmer, Luis Bunuel, Agnes Vardam Roger Vadim, Bertrand Tavernier, Costa Gravas, and Claude Lelouch.

Directed by Lorenzo Gabriele
90 min. / French with English subtitles






“A real charmer of a film with a great cast of familiar European actors all of whom are very adept at this sort of delicate light comedy with a heart. Why can’t Hollywood make more films like this?”
Howie Green, EDGE BOSTON

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