French Film On a Magical Night - A Pastiche of Trysts and Films

"On a Magical Night" is a sexual romp that is not as risqué or clever as one would wish.  It's a pastiche of past films, homages and a hearty wink.  The movies it marvel are' "A Christmas Tale," "Sliding Doors" and "It's a Wonderful Life."  The film take on a life of its own when Mari (Chiara Mastroianni) a professor with grade A sexual promiscuity is confronted by her husband Richard (Benjamin Biolay) of her infidelity revealed on her sex texting iPhone.  C'est la vie - comme ci comme sa - Voila, il nes pah big deal, Mari says to Richard her husband of 20 years.  (Chiara & Benjamin were married in real life & the sparks between them on screen barely smolder.). Chiara Mastroianni is the daughter of actors Marcel Mastroianni and Catherine Denueve.  She could pass as a doppelgänger for a young Susan Sarandon.  Richard appears devastated while Mari can't understand why he's so upset.  "Marriages that last more than 20 years couldn't survive without having lovers."  Richard tells her he never betrayed her in all their years together. He suggests time apart to think things over.  Mari takes him at his word and takes herself to the hotel across the street with A Room With a View into their apartment where she watches Richard from a Rear Window.  Overnight mysterious, magical, sensual & salacious moments occur.  Mari wakes to find Richard (Vincent Lacoste) at the young age they first met. "How can you be so young?" Mari asks.  "How can you be so old?" Richard replies.  Alas, this doesn't stop the two from making love which looks incestual.  All Mari's past lovers manifest and congregate in the adjoining room to allow Mari & young Richard opportunity to revisit their past passions while wrapped up in sheets.  Mari's lovers outnumber Richard's sole lover, his piano teacher, Irene (Camille Cottin).  She started as his school boy mentor and went on to tutor him sexually despite the age difference.  Irene appears in Richard's apartment to his amazement & wonderment she looks exactly the same as when he last saw her as a young man.  Mari watches the two across the way as Irene tries to seduce Richard & introduces an enfant that would have been their son had they stayed together.  French dir/screenwriter Christopher Honore pulls a lot of stops from his bag of tricks.  There are outrageously funny moments when Mari is visited by her dead mother "But you're dead" she says to her.  "So what!" says her mother and her grandmother has some harsh words for Mari's mother.  But the viewer sees the man behind the curtain and there's no place except home for the heavy prestidigitations.  The magic comes in soft drifts but leaves you out in the cold.  You don't believe me?  Humbug, my little Rosebud.