Life Upside Down [La Vie à l’Envers] **** (1964, Charles Denner, Anna Gaylor, Guy Saint-Jean) – Classic Movie Review 9351

Writer-director Alain Jessua’s 1964 black and white drama Life Upside Down [La Vie à l’Envers] stars Charles Denner, who is surprisingly sympathetic in a difficult role as a Paris office worker, real estate agent Jacques Valin, who has a compulsion to be alone.

He retreats from his wife Viviane (Anna Gaylor), friends and job, ending up in a mental hospital, recording his life story into a tape recorder.

The 1960s alienation theme is wittily done with a challengingly open attitude to the ‘hero’.

A tough idea to make work is turned into a success because the film is subtly made and frequently funny.

Jessua won the Best First Work award and the Pasinetti Award at the Venice Film Festival in 1964.

Also in the cast are Guy Saint-Jean, Nicole Gueden, Yvonne Clech and Jean Yanne.

Life Upside Down [La Vie à l’Envers] is directed by Alain Jessua, runs 92 minutes, is made by A J Films, is released by SETEC (1964) (France), Connoisseur Film (1964) (UK) and Landau Releasing Organization (1965) (US), is written by Alain Jessua, is shot in black and white by Jacques Robin, is produced by Michel Paynet and is scored by Jacques Loussier.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9351

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