The Easy Way Out

“The Easy Way Out”, originally titled L'Art de la fugue, is a French comedy-drama directed by Brice Cauvin, who co-wrote the screenplay with Raphaëlle Desplechin. Adapted from Stephen McCauley's novel, published in French under the same title, the film was shot in 2012, dated to 2013 or 2014 in various sources, and released in France on 4 March 2015.

The story follows three brothers stuck at different crossroads: Antoine, gay and living with his boyfriend Adar yet dissatisfied with life; Gérard, the eldest, separated from his wife and working in the family's slowly failing clothing store; and Louis, the youngest, who falls for his secret lover Mathilde while about to marry his high school sweetheart Julie. When Antoine's friend Ariel enters the family circle, each brother must face his own strained relationship. The cast features Laurent Lafitte, Agnès Jaoui, Benjamin Biolay and Nicolas Bedos, with Irène Jacob as Mathilde. The roughly 100-minute film was also screened at the 34th Istanbul Film Festival in 2015.