'Stroke of Luck')[3] is a 2023 French-language comedy drama thriller film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Lou de Laâge, Valérie Lemercier, Melvil Poupaud and Niels Schneider.
The plot involves a young woman bumping into an old high school friend who confesses that he has always had a crush on her; their subsequent lunch meetings, in secret from her possessive businessman husband, lead slowly to a beginning of an affair.
After his murder, Fanny, no longer in touch with him and finding his apartment empty, becomes convinced that Alain has abandoned her due to her desire to leave her husband for him.
[4] In September, Valérie Lemercier, Niels Schneider, Lou de Laâge and Melvil Poupaud joined the cast of the film.
The website's critics consensus reads, "Woody Allen's 50th film, Coup de Chance adds yet another creative rebound to the writer-director's oeuvre with a charming thriller that makes up in wit what it lacks in surprises.
[16] Xan Brooks of The Guardian gave the film three stars out of five, stating, "The strong, credible performances oil the wheels during these clattering shifts of gear and serve to distract from its occasional moments of implausibility.
"[17] Chris Vognar of the Rolling Stone commented, "Coup de Chance moves briskly, which means two things: the film is well-paced, rendered in mostly short, crisp scenes; and it tends to skim over the surface, using its characters to make philosophical points within a larger scheme.
"[18] Glenn Kenny, writing for Rogerebert.com, called it "a tight and effective French-language thriller that is also, among other things, the world's longest mother-in-law joke.
"[19] A positive review from Leonard Maltin singled out Vittorio Storaro's cinematography, and further stated: "Would anyone pay particular attention to a French import about love and deception without well-known stars if Woody Allen's name weren't attached to it?
Especially Lou de Laâge, whose Fanny is endlessly fascinating in a quirky but realistic way, full of unique revelations and traces of Diane Keaton.
"[23] Owen Gleiberman of Variety noted that the film "is rooted in a jaded Continental knowingness about matters of love, marriage, adultery... and getting rid of the people who are gumming up your life...