Buy Changing Times on DVD

Changing Times (2004)

Used DVD - Acceptable-Generic Case More Info Region Code: 1	In stock and ready to ship	$2.99
DVD More Info Region Code: 1 UPC: 741952308294 Catalog #: DV2363302	Usually ships in 5-10 days	$26.99 (10% off) List Price: ~~$29.99~~

When new special editions or price reductions are announced.

Synopsis

Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu star in a film about two former lovers reunited by fate. Antoine (Depardieu) has held a torch for his first love Cécile (Deneuve) for 30 years and arranges to be reunited with her in Morocco in the hopes of rekindling their love only to find that his advances are not welcome.

Of interest to gay fans, apart from the fact that the director/writer is gay is this gay subplot. Around the time Antoine arrives in Morocco, Cécile's bisexual son, Sami (Malik Zidi), who lives in Paris, appears unannounced with his girlfriend and her 9-year-old son. While Nadia, who is seriously addicted to tranquilizers, languishes in a funk, Sami dashes off for trysts with his Moroccan boyfriend, Bilal.(French with English subtitles)

Review

Wistfully beautiful in a way that only André Téchiné can seem to create for the screen, Changing Times is an homage to love that simply can't be. It's also a rare chance to see Gerard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve together on screen. These two international stars appear to emit a glow when on screen together.

Antoine (Depardieu) has held a torch for his first love, Cecile (Deneuve) since they dated decades ago. He has followed her life and tracked her down to Morocco where she lives with her husband and does a daily radio show. Antoine decides to create an opportunity to manage a construction site in Morocco and attempts to stir their old romance up. At the same time he arrives, Cecile's son Sami (Zidi) arrives with his girlfriend and their 9-year-old son. He's there ostensibly to visit the family, but really he's there to see his boyfriend Bilal. He slips away several times during their visit to see Bilal and when they leave he gives his boyfriend an open ticket to visit him in Paris.

As usual for Téchiné there are class, racial, sexual and political issues thrown into the mix. There is one tender scene of the two gay lovers together with some brief full frontal nudity. While the gay content is not the driving force of the film, it's a key piece nonetheless.

-- Scott Cranin