Crustacés et coquillages (translated into English as the pun

Pun

The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...

ning Cockles and Muscles) also known as Côte d'Azur, is a 2005 French film

French Film

French Film is a 2008 British comedy film directed by Jackie Oudney and starring Anne-Marie Duff, Hugh Bonneville, Victoria Hamilton, Douglas Henshall and Eric Cantona. The film was shot in Spring 2007 at various locations around London including Waterloo station and the BFI Southbank.-Plot:Two...

 directed by Olivier Ducastel

Olivier Ducastel

Olivier Ducastel is a French film director, screenwriter and sound editor who currently works in collaboration with partner Jacques Martineau.- Biography :...

 and Jacques Martineau

Jacques Martineau

Jacques Martineau is a French film director and screenwriter who works in collaboration with partner Olivier Ducastel.- Biography :...

.

Main cast

• Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi
  Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
  Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, also spelled Bruni-Tedeschi, is an Italian-French actress.-Personal life:...
  
   – Béatrix
• Gilbert Melki
  Gilbert Melki
  -Biography:Nephew of actor Claude Melki , Melki grew up in a Jewish family in Algeria. His father, an antiques dealer, came from Khenchela in Algeria and his mother was from France. Both hid during the war: his father in Lyon and his mother in NormandyHis father sent him to a woodworking school,...
  
   – Marc, her husband
• Jean-Marc Barr
  Jean-Marc Barr
  Jean-Marc Barr is a French-American film actor and director. His mother is French. His American father was in the US Air Force and served in the Second World War. Jean-Marc Barr is primarily known as an actor, but is also a film director, screenwriter and producer...
  
   – Didier, a local plumber and Marc's former lover
• Jacques Bonnaffé – Mathieu, Béatrix's lover
• Romain Torres – Charly, son of Béatrix and Marc
• Édouard Collin
  Edouard Collin
  Edouard Collin , is a French actor.- Filmography :* Nés en 68, 2008* Hellphone, 2007* Les irréductibles, 2006...
  
   – Martin, a family friend, of Charly's age
• Sabrina Seyvecou – Laura, daughter of Béatrix and Marc
• Julien Weber – Sylvain, boyfriend of Laura

Main plot

Marc has inherited the house of his late aunt on the Côte d'Azur and takes the family there on for their summer holiday, leaving their home in Paris. Charly, who has never had a girlfriend, is thought to be gay by his parents and Martin, who is gay, is also staying with them. Béatrix's lover Mathieu arrives in the village and manages to sneak opportunities to be with her. When Martin goes out one night to the local gay cruising area - an old fort on a nearby hillside - Charly follows him and meets Didier. After realising he isn't gay he calls Didier for help when the hot water stops working. Didier then meets Marc and they realise how much they missed each other from when Marc used to visit the area in his youth. Throughout everyone eats lots of fruits de mer

Fruits de mer

A plateau de fruits de mer is a seafood dish of raw and cooked shellfish served cold on a platter, usually on a bed of ice....

, especially Sea Violets

Microcosmus sabatieri

Microcosmus sabatieri are a species of Tunicates. The species has a rocky-shape appearance. It is mainly found in the Mediterranean Sea.It is used as food in parts of Europe, such as France and Italy, where it is known as a sea violet or sea fig...

. At the end everyone sings a song called 'Fruits de Mer', each with their preferred partner.

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...

 reported that 51% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 47 reviews. Metacritic

Metacritic

Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

reported the film had an average score of 47 out of 100, based on 19 reviews.