“Life goes on!” is the cheeky mantra throughout writer/director Emmanuelle Bercot’s quixotic road movie in which a middle-aged woman reassesses her priorities while finding out it’s never too late to surprise yourself. Light and airy in tone yet still taking its central theme of crisis and transformation seriously, Bettie’s long journey of reflection is gilded with enough humour and uncommon sense to keep everyone’s eyes off of their navels while that wonderfully muddled soundtrack of international indie chill keeps things just a tad off-kilter. Deneuve’s sense of timing has never been better as she goes from pathetic weeping to sardonic smirk to open-faced cluelessness and a supporting cast of eccentrics and common folk alike ensures everything stays anchored—a reunion between Bettie and her fellow “Miss France 1969” hopefuls provides some wry insights without being cruel. A gentle reaffirmation that life does indeed go on no matter how many wrenches we throw at it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It so touched my heart. Catherine still has it!!

Catherine Deneuve, one of the most prolific actresses in France, took this film because it enabled her to experience making a film with non-professional actors. The film is strong on development of relationships, but not so strong on plot. The value for the viewer is that we get Deneuve in every scene depicting how one begins to question one's purpose and path late in life.

Not my favorite Deneuve movie.