I really liked this film - I found it laugh-out-loud funny in parts, as it has a very quick wit to it. The casting cannot be faulted, the sets are perfect and of course the storyline is an elegant piece of entertaining fluff. I don't want to go into immense detail about the plot, as others have done (that's the ten line minimum rule I suspect)but there were some surprises. I didn't recall that the couple had been married as suggested in previous reviews, I had thought that they were lovers, but obviously I could be wrong. It was a rented DVD and absolutely worth it. If I get the chance, I might add it to my collection.

Some pictures probably 'read' better than when they are translated to the cinema. Such seems to be the case with "Twice Upon a Time", conceived and directed by Antoine de Caunes. It is a "franglish" production that maybe with a different tone it might have played differently.Alice and Louis, two former lovers, star actors in the French cinema, had separated thirty years before and now they surface again as Louis is going to receive a 'lifetime award' by the English motion picture industry. Alice seemed to be the natural presenter of the trophy, but alas, once they meet, their old animosity comes back in full swing. Alice is now married, alas in name only, to a wealthy man, Lord Gaylord, who one figures immediately, does a great service to his surname. There is a son too, Paul, who is a successful businessman, but who would trade everything in order to become a painter. Will Alice and Louis pick up where they left off? Hmm, stay tuned...It is a shame to have the amazing Charlotte Rampling in a role that will not add anything to her career. Ditto for Jean Rochefort, although he is not as effective as Ms. Rampling. Ian Richardson shows up as a gay husband and Charles Dance portrays the emcee of the award show. One wonders what they were doing in a bad movie. Oh well, that's the way it goes sometimes.This is a movie to be seen at the viewer's own risk.

This movie has a wonderful cast and a good story but it never gets of the ground. Much of the humour is forced and often doesn't work and some gags (like the dog) just don't work at all.Part of the problem lies with the script which lacks any surprises at all and part with the director, Antoine de Caunes, who never seems to get the best from his actors, and also with the lack of any real chemistry between Charlotte Rampling and Jean Rochefort. The movie feels like one of those churned out to fulfill contractual obligations. It's a great pity because all the ingredients are there for a great comedy.

Wow, a low user rating and no comments on this film so far. I recently saw this at the 2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival and of the 31 films I saw there this makes my top 5. This is a fun light comedy with a great cast. Alice d'Abanville (Charlotte Rampling) is a popular veteran British film and stage star who's talents are still very much in demand. Her former husband is Louis Ruinard (Jean Rochefort) a fading French cult film director who is being honored with a lifetime achievement award. In the 1970's this was the international hot jet set couple whose romance, marriage and breakup dominated the tabloids. Alice is trying to be coaxed into presenting Lous with the award but she wants nothing to do with him and they haven't seen each other in 30 years. A chain of events gives this couple an unlikely possibility of rekindling their rocky romance. Rampling has had a long career as an actress starring in such films as Georgy Girl, Stardust Memories, The Verdict and Farewell My Lovely. Rochefort has had a long career as a character actor in mainly French comedies but has had leading roles of note also such as in the Academy Award nominated Best Foreign Film Ridicule. Rampling and Rochefort really have a nice on-screen chemistry in this film and are really believable in being each other's love of their life in this story. Veteran stage and film actor Ian Richardson is Lord Evelyn Gaylord, the long-time husband of the remarried Alice d'Abanville. Simon Kunz is Randall the butler. Isabelle Nanty is Rageaud, the assistant to Ruinard and James Thiérrée is Alcie and Lord Gaylord's son. This is the third feature film from director Antoine de Caunes who has made a successful leap from comedy actor to director. He also wrote this fun and witty story. Some brief scenes of nudity. This is an entertaining comedy for adults that will appeal to an over 50 in age audience. I would give this a 9.0 and recommend it.