Cast: Audrey Tautou, Faudel, Eric Savin, Eric Feldman, Lysaine Meis
Director: Laurent Firode
Producers: Anne-Dominique Toussaint, Pasqual Judelwicz
Screenplay: Laurent Firode
Cinematography: Jean-René Duveau
Music: Peter Chase
U.S. Distributor: Lot 47 Films
In French with subtitles
Chaos theory is perhaps one of the most difficult branches of mathematics to understand. Typically, examples are used to explain it, including the oft-repeated "Butterfly Theory": a butterfly flapping its wings over the Atlantic ocean can produce a typhoon in the Pacific. It all has to do with cause-and-effect or what some people would call Chance, or Fate, or an Act of God. Regardless of the terminology, chaos theory plays a key role in human interaction, as well. Who hasn't ruminated over the chain of events leading up to an automobile accident, the first encounter with a lover, or a near escape from death? For his feature debut, French filmmaker Laurent Firode has decided to toy with his own interpretation of chaos theory and how it makes itself felt in the life of a young Parisian woman.
The story structure of Happenstance is like the cinematic equivalent of a Rube Goldberg machine - a twisting, winding string of coincidences piled one upon another, all leading to a very simple event - a woman meeting a man. Since this is not a romantic comedy (although there are hints that the two leads may be meant for one another), the lack of interaction between them isn't a significant drawback. This is one of those films where the ending is just a convenient stopping point - it's the journey to the moment that's worth taking, especially considering the intricate manner in which Firode has constructed the storyline.
The central character, Irene, is played by the luminous Audrey Tautou, who went on to international prominence with Amelie, the film she made immediately after Happenstance. "Central" is perhaps a misleading term. Although Irene has more exposure than anyone else, and the story keeps returning to her, she's just one of many faces to populate the screen. Characterization is on the weak side, precisely because there's so much switching back and forth between individuals. Firode is interested more in the brief, momentary connections we have with each other, and how those can inadvertently impact our lives, than he is with developing rich, multi-dimensional individuals.
We first meet Irene on a subway train during her daily commute to work. Also on the train, sitting opposite her, is Younes (Algerian singer Faudel). When a woman reads Irene's horoscope out loud, Younes realizes it is his as well - because he and Irene share the same birthday. The horoscope speaks of discovering one's true love on the day of the full moon, which happens to be this day. So, Younes spends the rest of his waking hours searching for Ms. Right. Irene, meanwhile, undergoes one mishap after another, until she finally decides to pack up her things, leave Paris, and go home to her mother. We meet others whose paths cross those of Irene and Younes: Richard (Eric Savin), a married man carrying on an affair with Elsa (Lysaine Meis); Luc (Eric Feldman), a charming liar who seems incapable of being truthful around women; Stephanie (Irene Ismailoff), whose reunion with an old lover turns into a nightmare; an old woman (Francoise Bertin), who tries to return a coffee maker to the store where she bought it; a pickpocket (Said Serrari), who chooses an unfortunate victim; and many others.
The film is openly interested in the vagaries of Chance and Fate. In addition to showing how these impact Irene and Younes, Firode presents numerous vignettes, sometimes in flashback, of how others are affected. Richard decides to lie to both his wife and his mistress as a result of random acts (for example, he watches a man about to eat a chocolate bar, and thinks to himself: "If he eats this, I will tell my wife"). Stephanie discovers her long-lost love by seeing his image in a snapshot at the photo development store where she works and asking the customer where they took the picture.
If it weren't for Tautou's newfound stardom, one wonders whether Happenstance would have received U.S. distribution at all. There's nothing terribly profound about Happenstance's observations about chaos theory (we have seen something similar in several recent, "alternate reality" movies such as Sliding Doors and The Family Man), but they make for an involving story. It's a delight to watch the plot unfold, and to become aware of how a small, random action by one person can impact the life of another. There are no flapping butterfly wings, but there are tossed pebbles and wind-blown grains of sand. Does the film overplay its hand and rely too much on coincidence? Only to those who aren't fascinated by the idea. In some ways, Firode's effort works better on a second viewing, when the characters and their relationships to one another have been established. Whether seen once or multiple times, however, Happenstance represents an intriguing meditation on the unseen forces that no one can escape.
© 2002 James Berardinelli