Coup de Chance

Directed by: Woody Allen
Distributed by: MPI Media Group

Written by Taylor Baker

80/100

“Coup de Chance” or “Stroke of Luck” is Woody Allen’s first feature film shot entirely in a different language (French) and his 50th. It follows Fanny–played superbly by Lou de Laâge–a married woman in her 30s who reconnects with a man who has been in love with her since they were both teenagers in school together. “Coup de Chance” isn’t too different from previous Allen films; its genre twists between a mixture of comedy-romance and comedy-drama, and its setting includes a country estate, a lavish city apartment, a small but quaint city apartment, and plenty of restaurants. With Dead bodies, dinner parties, romantic walks on sunlit sidewalks, diner scenes–and other frequent fodder one might find in Allen’s films or short stories.

“Coup de Chance” charms from the start; Allen effortlessly creates a camaraderie between the audience and Fanny despite her cheating on her husband, Jean. Alain, the boy she’d gone to school with, is in town working on his novel about a Jazz drummer and singer at a nightclub; he earnestly shares his emotions with her from the start, slowly wearing down her facade with his sincerity, but he doesn’t push her into anything or do so maliciously, each moment they have is enough for him. Jean, on the other hand, asks Fanny to dress in clothes she doesn’t like, to wear garish jewelry so she’ll dazzle at a party, and wants to have immediate access to her at all times. She’s his trophy wife, and he wants complete control of her. It’s not hard to imagine why Fanny feels unhappy and falls for the bohemian, laid-back Alain over their lunches.

As Jean becomes suspicious of his wife, the tone of the film shifts, as does Fanny’s character. Allen continues to excel at character dialogue told in confidence and at shooting convincing dinner parties with all the boorishness and politicking they entail. While feeling old hat in many ways, “Coup de Chance” also feels like a fresh breath in. At its best, a Woody Allen film can charm us all into it. Sure, it’s a familiar scenario, but the score and editing punctuate each note with care. There’s an extended driveway sequence that shows that he’s not done experimenting with exterior cinematography, and the performances he gets out of every central performer are competitive with anything you’ll find in the field so far this year. While it’s not one of Allen’s best, it is one of the most charming new releases you can catch this summer.

“Coup de chance” Trailer

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