Brilliant performances in a realistic film. Expatriate retirees from England move to France to live out their golden years, Brenda and Joseph (Brenda Fricker, James Fox). The wife may have the beginning of a senile dementia, and the husband is depressed, suffering from exhaustion, and generally doesn't like his life with his wife or himself anymore. Same thing they were experience at home in England. Enter a young couple visiting, Suzanne and Marc (Natalie Dormer, Paul Nichols). The couples become friends, but James, the older man, becomes a bit obsessed by Suzanne's youth, beauty and energy. He is clearly longing for his youth. He almost seems to regret his life with Brenda and his lost youth, to the point of not speaking to his grown children when they call. At times he seems to be embarrassed by his wife to the point of dislike. And Brenda seems frustrated with Joseph's depression and low energy, except when he can spend time with Suzanne and Marc. Both couples are sad in that they love each other, but have such high expectations of one another. Even in Provence, wherever you go, there you are.

I just gave a bad review of a talkie picture about two people wandering around a modern metropolis and talking. Yet I loved this movie set in the South of France. Emotion is the reason.I believed the angst of these characters. Other reviewers have already mentioned that being on a permanent holiday is not as great as it may seem. The old lady is constantly writing and mailing letters to friends back home, because that is her way of staying connected. She also obsesses over her kids visiting. Life is not really about leisure. Life is about human connections and purpose.All of these actors were perfect in their roles. The look of sheer hopeless anomie in the lead old guy's face was priceless. The old lady's unrefined babbling was right on the mark too. I'll bet people don't given much credit to the young actor, but he was totally believable as the rather ordinary yet admirably enthusiastic optimist.Of course the blonde was enchanting. You could tell that she longed to be cherished and understood.But the most profound aspect of it all, was the cruel reality of aging. Women are probably more comfortable with it than men. As long as they have a male buddy to dote on, they are happy. Women only have a very brief period of enchanting allure. After that, their appeal diminishes rapidly and never comes back. If you're fortunate enough to meet one during her glory years, you have to pay the price later when you're stuck with her for decades, without being attracted to her.It's just the way it is. In the case of this film, the main guy was a loving and honorable husband, despite his partial revulsion for his wife. A man never stops craving the excitement and carnal fire of young love. This old character wants to be young and possess the girl so intensely. But he knows that his days of lust, passion, and romance are long over. He has nothing to look forward to but more aging, sickness, and death. The greatest scene by far, was when she asks him how long he has been with his wife and reveals his true age. You can see the reality set in for her, as she is overwhelmed. Up until this point, she had enjoyed the company of a distinguished older gentleman and put his age out of her mind. But now she realizes that he is truly an old geezer. Worse yet, he sees that realization in her eyes and mannerisms.The look on his face at the end says it all.Nice photography and understated performances by the supporting characters. Overall, a sensitive portrayal of a real life scenario. Good work.

Roger Michell's LE WEEKEND (2013) offered a generally optimistic analysis of a late middle-aged English couple visiting France and rediscovering the point of their marriage. Virginia Gilbert's film offers a far more pessimistic vision. Joseph (James Fox) and Brenda (Brenda Fricker) have retired to the south of France and live in a chocolate-box medieval village in a sun-drenched climate surrounded by friendly locals. Life could not seem more perfect; but neither of them are very happy. Brenda busies herself around the house; the highlight of her day is the nightly visit to the local café where she exchanges pleasantries with the maitre d'hotel (Frédéric Largier) and eats steak. Joseph tries to deal with the monotony of his existence by taking daily walks and watching the local retirees play pétanque.Into this world come tourists Mark (Paul Nicholls) and Suzanne (Natalie Dormier). They seem to enjoy the ambiance: Mark takes a shine to the local vineyard, while Suzanne enjoys some of the historic sites. However all is not quite as it should be: Mark dislikes Suzanne's tendency to over-eat, while Suzanne questions whether she wants to marry or not. Joseph takes a shine to her (although he is too much of a gentleman ever to behave improperly), and the two of them spent much of their time talking to one another. Nonetheless all good things come to an end, as Suzanne and Mark return to England, leaving Joseph to contend with his meaningless existence once more.Gilbert's film makes much of the contrast between the idyllic surroundings and the unhappiness of the elderly protagonists. Whereas they obviously care for one another, they cannot admit that their decision to embrace the expat life after retirement was the wrong one. Brenda might or might not have the first signs of Alzheimer's; Joseph simply cannot cope with the early summer heat. Yet neither of them are capable of admitting their weaknesses; like two old soldiers they stoically continue their existences.The film adopts a minimalist style; there is little or no music, and Gilbert favors the long, lingering close-up, especially on Fox's features, as he walks aimlessly about the local village. In the final sequences, when he is bed-ridden through exhaustion, Gilbert's camera emphasizes his feeling of nothingness; he really has no reason to continue living, even though his only in his early seventies.A LONG WAY FROM HOME is a slow-moving film, interested more in mood and situation rather than plot-development. Nonetheless it captures the feelings of regret shared by many expats who have discovered that life abroad is not quite as edenic as they had once assumed.