It's Easier for a Camel (Il est plus facile pour un chameau...) (2003)

43% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
34% of users liked it
(467 ratings)

A wealthy but dysfunctional family teeters on the brink of collapse in this emotional drama leavened with a strong dose of dark comedy. Federica (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) is the daughter of a wealthy Italian business magnate (Roberto Herlitzka) who relocated himself and his family to France in the… More A wealthy but dysfunctional family teeters on the brink of collapse in this emotional drama leavened with a strong dose of dark comedy. Federica (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) is the daughter of a wealthy Italian business magnate (Roberto Herlitzka) who relocated himself and his family to France in the 1970s, after a wave of kidnappings among the rich and prominent led him to fear for their safety. Years later, Federica and her siblings -- brother Aurelio (Lambert Wilson) and sister Bianca (Chiara Mastroianni) -- still feel lost and disconnected, and with their father on his death bed, they each confront their feelings in their own way. Emotionally distant Aurelio plans a long and expensive vacation, while Bianca is in a sour mood that refuses to lift. Federica, who is attempting to establish herself as a playwright, tries to focus on her work, but she finds herself romantically torn between her current beau, down to earth Pierre (Jean-Hugues Anglade) and her former lover Philippe (Denis Podalydes), who despite his infatuation with her can't tear himself away from his wife and child. Il Est Plus Facile Pour un Chameau... was the first feature film from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, who wrote and directed the film as well as playing Federica. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Aug 20, 2004 Wide
On DVD: May 17, 2005
Studio: New Yorker Films

Critic Reviews

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
This is a rich comedy that leaves you suspended, with all its hubbub, between wanting to laugh and wanting to cry.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Overlong and heavy-handed, semi-autobiographical dramedy.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Because it is a convoluted meditation on the guilt that often accompanies personal wealth, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's wistful, self-effacing comedy is a movie that will push your buttons.
Lisa Nesselson, Variety
Gives Euro-style ambient guilt over money a sensitive and bittersweet (if slightly overlong) treatment that's worth a detour.
David Ng, Village Voice
Long-winded, jokingly self-deprecating, and clichéd.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
The movie can't quite overcome the barriers of class and privilege to make us care about Federica's predicament -- or to see that it's in any way unique to her.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The contrast of the naive assurance of youth with the confusion and ambiguity of adulthood is sweet but simplistic and the wandering script hasn't much else to offer.
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
Her story construction -- blurring fact and fantasy and mixing scenes from different time periods -- is confusing and wearying.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
It's ultimately hard to care deeply about a silly, sheltered girl-woman who's taking an inordinately long time to learn that money can't buy happiness.
David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor
A diverting dramatic comedy.
Chris Barsanti, Filmcritic.com
a distant and distinctly minor piece of work
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
It's Easier For a Camel examines the soul-searching of a very rich woman who discovers that real wealth lies in her imagination.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
[The main character] just isn't interesting in the slightest.