Unexpected and overflowing with tenderness, the relationship that unites the duo formed by Gérard Jugnot (Loïc) and François Deblock (Hugo) does not leave indifferent. A special bond will be forged between the two main characters, linked in spite of themselves by a common history. Oscillating between comedy and drama C'est beau la vie quand on y pense presents us with an ideal, sometimes simple world where everything is ultimately predictable.
When lost time catches up
Too busy with his career as a rally driver, Loïc le Tallec never took care of his son. While the latter dies in the prime of life from a road accident, Loïc falls into depression. 1 year later, he started looking for the one who had his son's heart transplanted. He will discover Hugo, a colorful young man who turns out to be the opposite of the "good guy" he had imagined. A time taken aback by the one who carries within him a part of his child, Loïc will gradually become attached to him, until treating him as his own son. In all simplicity this relationship between two strangers quickly becoming accomplices, will allow each to evolve and fill a gap. 
This unexpected encounter will see Hugo evolve, sit down and mature until he becomes a new man; Loïc meanwhile will find this taste for life that he had lost at the death of his son, setting himself up as a protective figure that he has never given himself the opportunity to be before. If lost time usually never makes up, this saying seems to be lacking here. The grieving old father will give the young wanderer something to build a future, doing with him everything he has never done with his own son. He will even help him realize his dream, to the point of being personally involved in his projects.
Endearing but clichés, characters who fail to move us
The story is certainly original, but treated so lightly that it becomes difficult to draw any emotion from it. If the film is based on a generational confrontation making us reflect on a plurality of themes, it only succeeds in making us smile from time to time, far from the expected emotional intensity. The passage of time, the difficulty of committing, self-confidence… The scenario offers a rather interesting reflection on current themes that cross our societies. However, the story of the young man in distress saved by the wise old man who wants to make up for lost time gives an air of déjà vu. 
Inconsistencies in the staging also leave the spectator rather doubtful. Hugo evolves in contact with Loïc, so that between the beginning and the end of the film, he seems to be a completely different character: he sometimes even does a little too much. Gérard Jugnot as a devastated and awkward father in his relationships perfectly embodies his role… without being able to get out when circumstances require it. It's beautiful life when you think about it turns out to be a pleasant comedy that we like to watch for the originality of its scenario and the lightness of its staging. Its dynamism leaves no downtime, and even if the end is largely predictable, the viewer cannot remain insensitive to it. Despite its lack of realism, the singular relationship that develops between Loïc and Hugo invites an interesting reflection on our relationship with others, the unknown and uncertainty: an originality that is worth seeing.
