Life of Riley
Director: Alain Resnais
Year Released: 2014
Rating: 1.5
A group of teachers/actors are shocked when they find out their friend George Riley (only discussed, never on-screen/stage) is dying and has a few months to live, which has the women all flirting with the idea of having one last fling with him and their husbands behaving like jealous teenagers (how un-laissez faire of them!). Sad for Resnais - this was his last feature - to go out on such a mediocre and frivolous note (though the ending is poetically fitting): he's adapted Alan Ayckbourn twice already, but this particular work comes across as hammy (Sabine Azéma's character in particular) and a little juvenile, considering all of the performers are well past middle age. I'll admit I've taken issues with many of Resnais' films (Muriel remains one of my most hated films of all time), though to deny him his rightful place in the cinematic canon would be foolish: for Last Year at Marienbad alone, he was a master.
