I GOT LIFE! (AURORE)

Director
Blandine Lenoir
(ZOUZOU)

Stars
Agnès Jaoui, Pascale Arbillot, Lou Roy-Lecollinet, Sarah Suco, Samir Guesmi, Philippe Rebbot and Thibault de Montalembert

A film made by a woman, starring a woman in a movie that is made for women, all sharing one common denominator – the age of participation is above forty. I GOT LIFE!, or AURORE as it is known in France, is a likeable comedic drama that may struggle to extend its appeal beyond its desired audience.

When we meet the titular character, Aurore Tabort (Agnès Jaoui, who also collaborates to the screenplay), she is at an uncertain time in her life. Separated from her husband, she works as a waitress for a boss and alongside colleagues who are much younger than she is while dealing with the physical reactions of menopause on a daily basis. Happiness in her life is sourced from the companionship of her best friend, Mano (Pascale Arbillot) and two daughters, Lucie (Lou Roy-Lecollinet) who lives at home with Aurore and Marina (Sarah Suco), who’s expecting her first child. While out one afternoon with Mano, Aurore bumps into Christophe (Thibault de Montalembert), a man who she had a brief love encounter with at high school. Could this surprise rendezvous be a new opportunity for Aurore to find love all over again?

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The plot in this French comedy/light drama is largely rendered via a random and wacky series of stand-alone scenes, some recurring sequences and arbitrary dialogue that (at best) does regularly offer mild amusement. When I GOT LIFE! takes an episodic break from being so quirky and goes more… normal, its uninspired directing and lack of substance and trajectory in story instantly make it a dull film to watch. Even for its targeted crowd, the screenplay is more limited than it wishes to be in what it has to offer and consequently places a greater reliance on forming an interest in and affinity for the various characters in this movie. Luckily, they aren’t difficult people to be in the company of for an hour and a half. Particularly the impulsive and very cheeky Mano, who steals almost every scene she appears.