Courtesy: EuropaCorp Distribution/mpi Pictures/Films Caneo/M6/W9/Canal+/Cine Cinema
Little White Lies is a very emotionally powerful and moving story. As powerful as it is, it is not a movie for anyone. The reason for this is that it is a direct reflection of life. Just because it is a French film doesn’t mean that the characters only reflect the French. Rather, it reflects humans in general. Whereas the BBC’s Keeping Up Appearances does this in a full on comical nature, this roughly two and a half-hour long allegory about the lies that we tell ourselves and others every day takes a far more dramatic turn on this subject.
Little White Lies was marketed as a dramedy of sorts. And while there are some humorous moments, the humor of those moments is slight at best. So it would be safer to consider this movie as leaning more in the direction of a drama than a dramedy. The movie’s drama rises from the central theme that the group of friends have to put their annual vacation plans on hold when Ludo (Jean DuJardin—The Artist) is hit by a box truck while leaving a bar one day. The drama starts right from the moment the group of friends leaves Ludo’s room at the hospital, their actions speak volumes. They all agree to cut their annual vacation short by two weeks so as to be able to see Ludo, thinking that he will be okay. The way that they act is almost that of people who feel inconvenienced by Ludo being in the hospital. It is so subtle. But it is there. So it’s evident from early on just how much this story reflects real life.
The reflection of life doesn’t end with the moment the friends leave the hospital. Throughout the time that the friends are together on their vacation, the lives that they live and that they use to impress one another are revealed. From an unhappy couple to a gay man that is in the closet to lies about their own situation in life, each member of the group mirrors people in everyday life. This ugly truth is eventually revealed in the story’s bittersweet ending. The story’s end is its most powerful moment, too. It leaves viewers to question what is really important in life. Is it one’s own reputation or one’s own family and friends that are the most important? Given, it is a foreign film. But the message is one that will resonate among all audiences. And because of that, it is worth at least one watch as emotionally charged as it is.
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