The phenomenon of artists who simply cannot stop working is well known. In professional circles they are called “stage animals”, probably because their passion for art has something animalistic about it. At the age of 94, Charles Aznavour performed two weeks before his death. In contrast, Cliff Richard is a youngster if he is still touring at the age of 85 – just like Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones or Patti Smith, the “Godmother of Punk”, who is currently touring Europe at the age of 79. For all of them, art is their purpose in life and applause is their nourishment, without which they cannot exist. There is certainly a bit of fun in making money. Things get even worse when your health no longer cooperates.
In “Ticket to Life,” Antoine Toussaint (Gérard Darmon) stops singing on stage after suffering a stroke. No more performances and certainly no more tours, everything is too strenuous. He’s recovering somewhat, but what’s in it for him? Without music, which is his job and vocation, life has no meaning for Antoine. The audience was his family, the stage his home. What else is there left for him other than the not necessarily pleasant prospect of spending the time he has left in boredom and loneliness? For Antoine, the logical consequence is: He wants to die voluntarily before he possibly becomes in need of care.
Everything is already organized, Antoine has said goodbye to his manager Claude (Patrick Timsit), who is the only one in the know, and boards the TGV in Paris towards Geneva. As soon as he has sat down, his fan Victoire (Valérie Lemercier), a woman in her 60s with remarkable energy and persistence, contacts him. At first she really annoys Antoine. He wants peace and quiet, but the more he tries to get rid of her, the closer Victoire gets to him. After all, she has a big wish: could he perhaps perform at her daughter’s wedding in Geneva?
Gérard Darmon and Valérie Lemercier make a wonderfully unlikely couple.
This is the basis for a turbulent RomCom – typically French, for better or worse. The well-known knitting pattern also works here and sets in motion a machine that is as unstoppable as it is predictable, which ensures good entertainment with lots of quiet and sometimes loud laughs, at least in the first third. First of all, we have the most unlikely possible constellation of characters in the form of two opposing main characters: an embittered singer with a death wish meets a completely crazy, full-time hysteric with manic-depressive traits who has been released from prison because of the wedding of her daughter, who (of course) no longer speaks a word to her.
She is only too happy to brag about her conquest in front of her son-in-law’s arrogant clan, because Antoine is not only old and in a bad mood, but also quite prominent. So he finds himself, completely involuntarily, of course, at the center of a family drama from which he can probably only escape with a song. At least he tries to put on a good face when acting evil, which isn’t all that easy given the corners of his mouth that are constantly drooping. But this wouldn’t be a French comedy without a pretty predictable but at least somewhat believable happy ending. And if a film is called “Ticket to Life” and not “Ticket to Death”, then it is reasonable to suspect that Antoine might change his mind at short notice.
Victoire (Valérie Lemercier) has been in prison for the last few years because of a pretty stupid jewelry heist.
After all, the two stars do their best to bring their roles to life. As Antoine, Gérard Darmon is a likeable grump who still enjoys his prominence as a successful singer without any airs and graces. But he is so obviously unhappy and lonely that you should actually feel sorry for him. But you don’t, because he’s clearly too self-centered for that. Darmon owes the fact that he is still lovable partly to his slightly clumsy old man charm, but mainly to his partner. Valérie Lemercier, best known as the mother of little Nick in the film adaptations of the classic French children’s book of the same name, plays Victoire with great commitment as the most annoying terror. Just at the right time, just before you want to strangle her, there is a twist that is actually unexpected and gives the film a new direction. This is cleverly written and nicely staged.
Except for Patrick Timsit as manager and Antoine’s only friend, the other participants are just staff and act as cues at best. Nevertheless, the film has a not so inconsiderable sense of humor, which becomes apparent primarily through its situational comedy and less through the dialogue. The director and co-author Jean-Pierre Améris was able to prove how well he mastered his craft in 2011 with his successful comedy “The Anonymous Romantics”. “Ticket ins Leben” is certainly less romantic, but has more bite and always a touch of criticism of the current zeitgeist, quite cleverly packaged in the floral shirt of the death counselor and in a soundtrack with old, heartwarming chansons.
Conclusion: “Ticket into Life” is nice to look at, but more tabloid theater than cinematic enlightenment. Anyone who wants to be entertained at the cinema will appreciate this light comedy as a feel-good treat. Nothing to kneel down on, but also nothing to look away from.