By Gregg Shapiro

Contributing Writer

In theaters:

“The Man of My Life (L’Homee De Sa Vie)” (Strand) – Husband and wife Frederic (Bernard Campan) and Frédérique (Léa Drucker) and their young son Arthur (Niels Lexcellent) are summering in Provence with extended family and friends nearby. Frederic and Frédérique, who have settled into the contented groove of their marriage, still find pleasure in each other’s bodies and company. That delicate balance, however, is upset by the arrival of Hugo (Charles Berling), an outspoken gay man who moves into the house next door. Invited to his neighbors’ for a barbecue, Hugo learns that young Arthur has been watching him swim “all naked” in his pool. The straightforward Hugo also makes a personal connection with Frederic and they end up talking into the early morning hours, long after the other guests have taken to their beds. The post-barbecue conversation, in which both men reveal different sides of themselves, resulting in a surprising bond, is woven into the plot of the film through flashbacks over the course of the days that follow. Whether Hugo is out clubbing and bringing home tricks or Frederic is out jogging or doing things with his family, the plot returns to the integral dialogue between the two seemingly different men. This is only one of the many fascinating devices that co-writer and director Zabou Breitman employs to tell this compelling story of the unexpected twists and turns old and new relationships take in the course of a lifetime. The idyllic setting for the turbulent turn of events in both Frederic’s and Hugo’s lives helps to ease some of the trauma, but also serves to remind the viewer of the deception of appearances. The Chicago premiere of

“The Man of My Life (L’Homee De Sa Vie)” runs from Dec. 28-Jan. 3 at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State.

And what of “Sweeney Todd,” you ask? Well, give me a shave and call me a meat-pie, but per the movie studio’s demands, I am unable to run a review of Tim Burton’s big screen adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical until after opening day (Dec. 21). Please watch for one when Chicago Free Press returns on Jan. 2 (but you’ll probably have already seen it by then).

Limited runs:

Back at Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State, by popular demand, Gary Hustwit’s “Helvetica,” celebrating the 50th anniversary of the typeface, runs through Dec. 20.

“Dans Paris (aka Inside Paris),” with Louis Garrel and Romain Duris, will be screened at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State, from Dec. 21-27.

Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano, and Robert Wagner star in the Chicago premiere of  “Man In The Chair,” from Dec. 21-Jan. 3, at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State.

Cinema Lesbiana, the women's film screening group, meets on Dec. 28, at 7:30 pm., at the Gerber/Hart Library, 1127 W. Granville. Call (773) 381-8030.