<\/p>\n
I rarely am awake to watch movies from beginning to end…except if they are spectacular. Well, yesterday, my husband and I stumbled upon a French film on Netflix called\u00a0Le Pr\u00e9nom<\/em>–and it was so good I watched the whole thing! The English version is titled “What’s in a Name?,” which differs, of course, from the original title (and evokes thoughts of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet)<\/em>. English subtitles are also available on the version on Netflix.<\/p>\n Le Pr\u00e9nom\u00a0<\/em>was released in French theaters in 2012 to great acclaim. In fact, it was nominated for five C\u00e9sars, which are the equivalent of Oscars in the United States. Val\u00e9rie Benguigui (who, sadly, passed away shortly after receiving this award) and\u00a0Guillaume de Tonqu\u00e9dec\u00a0won C\u00e9sars for Best Actress and Actor in a Supporting Role. Originally written as a play, it was staged in 2010 before being filmed. The film version still captures this “French theater” feel and, in fact, most of the film is set in the living room of a Parisian couple’s apartment. While the beginning of the film introduces the characters outside of the main action of the plot with\u00a0more cinematic tricks, the main plot revolves mostly around the characters’ dialogue–and the surprising secrets that are gradually released over the course of a dinner party amongst friends.<\/p>\n The\u00a0French website AlloCin\u00e9,\u00a0gives the following synopsis:<\/p>\n Vincent, la quarantaine triomphante, va \u00eatre p\u00e8re pour la premi\u00e8re fois. Invit\u00e9 \u00e0 d\u00eener chez \u00c9lisabeth et Pierre, sa s\u0153ur et son beau-fr\u00e8re, il y retrouve Claude, un ami d\u2019enfance. En attendant l\u2019arriv\u00e9e d\u2019Anna, sa jeune \u00e9pouse \u00e9ternellement en retard, on le presse de questions sur sa future paternit\u00e9 dans la bonne humeur g\u00e9n\u00e9rale… Mais quand on demande \u00e0 Vincent s\u2019il a d\u00e9j\u00e0 choisi un pr\u00e9nom pour l\u2019enfant \u00e0 na\u00eetre, sa r\u00e9ponse plonge la famille dans le chaos.<\/em><\/p>\n (Vincent, a triumphant forty-something, is going to be a father for the first time. Invited to a dinner at his sister Elisabeth and step-brother Pierre’s apartment, he spends time with Claude, a childhood friend. While awaiting the arrival of Anna, his young wife who is always running late, the friends question\u00a0Vincent about his impending fatherhood in general good humor … But when they ask Vincent if he’s already chosen a name for his unborn child, his response propels the family into chaos.)<\/p>\n While this synopsis gives away a general idea of the most basic plot of the story, it doesn’t reveal some of the most intriguing themes of the film. By the end of\u00a0Le Pr\u00e9nom<\/em>, viewers are confronted with philosophical ruminations on responsibility and choice, patriarchy and feminism, and even the role of secrets in families and among close friends (as well as illicit relationships). It’s a comedy that will have you roaring with laughter, but isn’t afraid to ask deep questions at the same time.<\/p>\n You can watch the bande annonce<\/em>\u00a0(trailer) here–and then make sure to check it out on Netflix:<\/p>\n