The Best Years of a Life

2019 1h 30m FR

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 106

DramaRomanceComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

They knew each other long ago: a man and a woman whose dazzling and unexpected romance captured in the now-iconic film revolutionized our understanding of love. Today, the former race car driver seems lost in the pathways of his memory. In order to help him, his son seeks out the woman his father wasn’t able to cherish but whom he constantly revisits in his thoughts and dreams. Anne reunites with Jean-Louis and their story picks up where they left it…

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Anouk Aimée
Anne Gauthier
Jean-Louis Trintignant
Jean-Louis Duroc
Antoine Sire
Antoine Duroc, le fils de Jean-Louis
Marianne Denicourt
La responsable de la maison de retraite
Souad Amidou
Françoise Gauthier, la fille d'Anne
Monica Bellucci
Elena Duroc, la fille de Jean-Louis
Tess Lauvergne
Tess
Laurent Prudhomme
Gendarme

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Claude Lelouch
Writers: Claude Lelouch
Languages: Italian, French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Italian, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "A Man and a Woman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Claude Lelouch, shot by Robert Alazraki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Francis Lai. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Stéphane Mazalaigue shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant and Antoine Sire carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Claude Lelouch directs. Robert Alazraki behind the camera. Francis Lai scores. Stéphane Mazalaigue cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in Italian, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 7 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Italian, French.
4Part of the "A Man and a Woman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Claude Lelouch, shot by Robert Alazraki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Francis Lai. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Stéphane Mazalaigue shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant and Antoine Sire carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt9075612 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.