New Int'l. Release

You'll Miss Me

 (France)

By JORDAN MINTZER

A UGC Distribution release of a Sunrise Films, UGC YM production, in association with Sofica UGC 1, Sofica Soficinema 5, with participation of Canal Plus, CineCinema. (International sales: UGC Images, Paris.) Produced by Thomas Klotz, Yves Marmion. Directed, written by Amanda Sthers.
 
With: Carole Bouquet, Pierre Arditi, Anne Marivin, Patrick Mille, Fred Testot, Monique Chaumette, Michael Lonsdale, Ariane Seguillon, Melanie Thierry, Cecile Cassel, Melanie Page, Karine Silla, Yves Jacques, Hyacinthe Imayanga.
 

Six lovesick adults -- one of them terminally so -- cross paths at Charles de Gaulle Airport in dramedy "You'll Miss Me," a Gallic slice of sentimental fluff that strays off course once the narrative taxies toward the runway. Aiming for the networking complexity of "Magnolia" or "Shortcuts," author-playwright Amanda Sthers' debut is closer to a daytime soap opera, boosted slightly by disjointed structuring, constantly upbeat music and thesping that's mildly above par. June 10 local rollout yielded mediocre results, despite a name cast, and the pic will skip its transatlantic connection before landing safely on the French tube.

A writer (Pierre Arditi), an editor (Patrick Mille) and a psychiatrist (Michael Lonsdale) are all waiting in an airport. Things get seriously sappy when the three bachelors run into a guy-crazy teacher (Anne Marivin), a fanciful widow (Monique Chaumette) and a suicidal cancer patient (Carole Bouquet). With too many plots to juggle and characters who never rise above French stereotypes, the handsomely shot ensembler is engulfed midway by its own preachy feel-goodness. Lonsdale offers some genuine maneuvers in a work that otherwise coasts along on autopilot.

Camera (color), Regis Blondeau; editor, Elise Fievet; music, Sinclair; production designer, Wouter Zoon; costume designer, Emmanuelle Youchnovski. Reviewed at UGC Normandie 4, Paris, June 18, 2009. Original title: Je vais te manquer. Running time: 95 MIN.