It Only Happens to Others (1971) User Reviews

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans (Lennon)

[dbdumonteil · 24 December 2010]

Based on a true story ( a tragedy Nadine Trintignant experimented) ,the movie was the director's biggest success .After an interesting (but not for all tastes) offbeat thriller ("Le Voleur De Crimes" ) , she tells the worst thing that can happen to a couple :the loss of their child.The fact that they are portrayed by two superstars (Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve) is not a problem for both are close to ordinary people here .The story deals with the harsh reality and the necessity for life to go on.Thus the key moment is when Mastroianni opens the shutters .A barrel of laughs ,this is not,but these things happen (see the title) ..A lovely song by Michel Polnareff was a big hit in 1972 in France .The movie is dedicated to Marie Trintignant (Nadine's daughter) who died tragically .