Anyone else disatisfied with the ending? (Spoilers!) - L'arnacoeur (2010) Discussion

[–] lostlilly 14 years ago

I agree the ending was probably the film's one patchy area for me, it was quite rushed and predictable (although the rest of the film more than made up for that).

I did feel sorry for the fiance, because he seemed nice, and we were sort of left to guess why the father so vehemently wanted Juliette to break off the wedding. I think the passingly said explanation was that he felt the fiance was too safe and boring for Juliette, and I think we the audience were supposed to think that of the fiance as well. He was a perfectly nice guy, but too perfect for Juliette, who wanted more excitement and drama out of life than a nice but perhaps dull marriage.

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[–] Arctic_Wizard 14 years ago

Yeah you're probably right, though it didn't do it for me. Call me boring but I'd want to be married to someone who was kind, successful, gentle and nice - all of which Andrew Lincoln's character seemed to be. I'm not convinced ...

"I love my babies, why would I want to push them away from me?" - Maggie Gyllenhaal.

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[–] lostlilly 14 years ago

Oh, I agree! Romain Duris is very attractive and I liked his character, especially in his goofy moments (and did quite fancy him then), but I always prefer the nice, gentle guy over "bad boys" or guys who think they're awesome. But Juliette obviously preferred the other!

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[–] Arctic_Wizard 14 years ago

Hmm ... yes, shame really lol

"I love my babies, why would I want to push them away from me?" - Maggie Gyllenhaal.

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[–] PlatinumScreen 9 years ago

*SPOILERS*

Reverend_Summerisle, I applaud you for starting this thread. I have posted several times on different movies about the cinematic tendency to send a nice girl off with the liar, cheat, jerk, player, cad, or whatever other undesirable, questionable trait over the decent, stable, kind, "boring" guy.

As much as I liked Alex, he still lied and messed with people's hearts and relationships for a living. Jonathan was portrayed to have all the traits required for a happy marriage. The only drawback he had were his snobbish parents, but he drew that line at the dinner table and defended Juliette against them, so that wouldn't be as much of an issue in the marriage (compared to men who let mom and dad say and do whatever to his lady--that causes friction. I know that from my own experience.).

But Jonathan committed the unpardonable sin--he was predictable and boring. I feel this tendency in movies to portray the "boring" guys as less than worthy boyfriends and husbands to be near dangerous if young girls get these crazy thoughts in their heads. Movies pretrain girls to never be satisfied with what's the normal reality with most guys in the living, breathing world.

With all that said, I loved the movie. It had some of the best pacing of any movie I've seen in a while. Not a dull moment. It stayed on scenes just long enough and moved on when it needed to. It threw out dips and turns and hooks at just the right times. I could go on.....It felt like what Hollywood used to put out but doesn't anymore.

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[–] eamonn_keane 14 years ago

I suppose her father thought that she'd get bored with the marriage soon and run off - better that she do so before the wedding.

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[–] britwrit 14 years ago

In a way, you could understand it as her unconsciously choosing the rogue who reminds her of her own father.

Of course, that explanation would work a lot better if the film had explored her character than surface characteristics. Smart, well educated, wild in her youth and guilty about Mom. That was about it.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] EsmeraldaHugo 14 years ago

It also really failed to deal with the parts at the start of that job where they were all saying "we've never seen two people so in love".

What I didn't like about it was that Andrew Lincoln was literally left standing there at the altar without so much as a by your leave as she turned on her heel and ran. What a high degree of public humiliation. I don't think any human with any soul would do that to someone who (a) they (until v.v.recently) professed to love (b) was a decent kind person and (c) had done nothing wrong at all. It is an incredibly cruel and thoughtless way to behave.

Even saying "can I talk to you for a second" and dragging him away from the crowd would have vested her with a little more humanity.

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[–] laurelie 14 years ago

The worst bit about the ending was inferring that he'll probably get with the friend now. Very tacked on and it somehow is used to try and mute the immorality of Vanessa Paradis's running off with Alex.

I disagree. It doesn't mute the "immorality" at all. Vanessa's friend stated during the movie that if she was in her shoes she would marry the safe/rich guy and then cheat on him with other men. Now that he's free she can have him, and she started seducing him right off the bat. The poor guy doesn't know what's coming for him. ^^

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[–] cleo_ella99 14 years ago

I agree, I've watched countless rom coms (sweet home alabama, made of honor etc) in which the heroine abandons the nice boring guy at the altar to run off with the bad boy, and I ALWAYS feel sorry for the poor abandoned dude, no matter how much I like the hero. And then they always show the heroine's best friend or some other supporting actress hooking up with the abandoned guy. It always happens at the last minute and they expect us to believe that this guy has just found the love of his life in the supporting girl. I suppose that is how rom coms work, but I still can't help but feel sorry for them! It's seriously a huge humiliation plus what about the cost of the wedding and the assembled guests?

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[–] DogtownGirl 14 years ago

The ending seem 'tacked on' to me. As though the film-makers had thought to themselves, "Uh-ohhh, we're running out of time, sooo let's resolve it happily."

Frankly, I never saw the chemistry between Depp's lady and Duris. I didn't buy that she'd fall for anyone, so detached seeming and aloof was she!

The more Ken Loach films I see, the more I think they need English subtitles.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] DogtownGirl 14 years ago

Arrrgh, men .... yes!

The more Ken Loach films I see, the more I think they need English subtitles.

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[–] asdf189756 11 years ago

Yes i thought that too. I wonder if they changed the ending?

I think the ending should have been the airport scene when he says he's never broken a heart but now his heart was broken. It was slowed down it kinda seemed like the end

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[–] PlatinumScreen 9 years ago

I think the ending should have been the airport scene when he says he's never broken a heart but now his heart was broken. It was slowed down it kinda seemed like the end

I actually thought this was the ending and expected to see the credits start rolling as he kept walking through the airport. That would've been a satisfying conclusion to me as it still would've provided Alex a change in character.

Besides, I would like to know what was it about Juliette over all the other women he seduced for a living over the years that tied him up in knots and made him want her. I felt that was somewhat glossed over--the reason for his extreme attraction to this one woman in particular. Maybe those things can't be analyzed though. Intangibles are at work.

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[–] Corner_House_guest 14 years ago

I saw this film last week in my local Odeon under the Directors Chair strand. Nothing special, standard rom-com, music soundtrack was too loud, ridiculous plot that woman chucks the bloke she has been in love with for 3 years and living with for two, at the altar to run after an untrustworthy bloke she doesnt know and met 5 days ago. Even if he does looks like Romain Duris.....

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[–] travelergirl 14 years ago

Yes, ti could have gone either way. But the movie makers are banking on a feel-good ending. It seems the independent films have the freedom to take more risks.

But, I think the point was that her fiance was a "safe" choice. And that he didn't challenge her. And that she would be bored and not grow and be happy in life. The movie just didn't show the lack of passion between these two characters for us to see more. And the movie could have added more friction between the two main characters. And really made their attraction buzzing with passion. And it could have shown that they challenged each other to live a more fulfilled life, too.

So it could have gone either way.

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[–] madscntst 14 years ago

Yeah, I think the premise falls apart with any analysis at all. I think the point is supposed to be that even though the fiance is a nice guy, she doesn't truly love him, so it can never be "right". But it seems we should've seen more scenes with her seeming bored or putting on a brave face. Then, Alex basically tells her that everything she thought she knew about him is a lie! And the bit about that slutty Sophie putting the moves on the fiance was just icky.

That said, I thought it was a sweet film and as long as I didn't try to think too hard, I just tried to go with it.

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[–] lamont-hard 13 years ago

These type of endings are usually far fetched. It would have to catch up to her at some point that what she did was deplorable to some one with family and friends looking to witness happiness for the groom. For someone who has been in love with you for some time this act is devastating. Film makers are so hungry for the happy ending that they never have the guts to make the star seem less than perfect. Even on this board some posters say they liked the ending meaning they approve of the what she did. Not daring to even look at the other side of the story. One last point this type of movie almost always happen with women dumping men and not the other way around. I would bet if the women were dumped in this manner as the guys this genre would all but vanish.

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[–] Creampuff1991 14 years ago

I actually liked the ending. I just watched the movie this afternoon and thought it was adorable! Juliette's fiance was nice and all, but I didn't really like his character.. He was boring, just like her father said their life would be if she was to marry him. I thought she and Alex were good together, so I would have been sad if it had ended any other way.

Thanks.
~~Creampuff~~
Good morning starshine, the earth says hello!

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[–] LarissaXX 13 years ago

It looked like a deja-vu but now I get it.

It reminded me of latest Dutch series the Bachelor. He chose the "wrong" girl and it was over within a week. And the funny part? The woman he left standing hooked up with his best friend. He pretended he didn´t mind (posed for photos with the 2 of them) but after he broke off with his first choice so shortly after he must have felt a little bit bummed..

Last films seen: Bridesmaids, Horrible bosses, L'arnacoeur (Profession: Heartbreaker)

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[–] lamont-hard 13 years ago

The thing I never get or I should say ever see is this act of leaving him at the alter is significant to the jilted one and her conscience would catch up to her at some point. You just can't dismiss all the lovemaking memories and honesty the guy had but i must admit this is not a popular theme to show, I can understand she changing her mind but it is almost a universal thing that male viewers are turned off by this because we are taught to take care of a woman and you are a good one. So it would have helped the movie if he had been let down easily instead of scarring the guy for life.

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[–] timlin-4 12 years ago

Most realistic part of the movie

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