My Sex Life

Talky, charming and reasonably witty, Arnaud Desplechin's philosophical comedy might have made an excellent 90-minute film. Instead, for reasons beyond comprehension, it makes a so-so three-hour film. No, that isn't a typo--we're talking 178 minutes of neurotic self-conscious French intellectuals gabbing. Go ahead, grab an aspirin; I'll wait. The acting throughout is superb, and there are scattered moments of inspiration (particularly a scene involving a pet monkey trapped behind a radiator), but Desplechin's attempt at making an epic talkathon simply doesn't work, and Eric Rohmer he ain't. Much of the verbal humor may well be lost in the subtitled translation, though. Optional. (M. D'Angelo)