Marc is a director of arty films who, when his latest project is deemed by studio bosses to be a likely commercial disaster, runs away to the countryside to finish it in peace. Pitching up with a few loyal crew members at his kind aunt Denise's cottage, he battles both his artistic problems and mental ones, as well as trying to complete a project he started years before - the 'Book of Solutions', a self-help manual for life. If only he did not keep getting distracted by, eg, making a documentary about an ant, or a cartoon about a hairdressing fox.
It is pretty much Pierre Niney's film, so it is just as well he does very well as Marc - the scene where, with no relevant experience whatsoever, he conducts an orchestra is especially memorable. Françoise Lebrun as Denise and Blanche Gardin as Marc's exasperated editor also do well - as does Sting, appearing as himself.
The film does drag a bit towards the end - it seems longer than its official running time of 102 minutes. And I found the flies who camera-bomb many shots distracting! But it was definitely enjoyable and I may well watch it again.
