Coup de Chance
Two young people's bond leads to marital infidelity and ultimately crime.
The film underperformed commercially against its limited budget of $10.0M, earning $7.8M globally (-22% loss).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Coup de Chance (2023) exemplifies strategically placed story structure, characteristic of Woody Allen's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 36 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Fanny
Alain
Jean
Camille
Main Cast & Characters
Fanny
Played by Lou de Laâge
A wealthy Parisian woman trapped in a comfortable but unfulfilling marriage who reconnects with a former flame, sparking a dangerous affair.
Alain
Played by Niels Schneider
Fanny's former classmate and rekindled lover, a writer whose passion reignites her desire for authentic connection.
Jean
Played by Melvil Poupaud
Fanny's wealthy, possessive husband who maintains control through his success and becomes dangerously jealous when threatened.
Camille
Played by Valérie Lemercier
Fanny's friend and confidante who observes her transformation and moral descent.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Fanny lives a privileged Parisian life, married to wealthy businessman Jean. She appears content in her upscale world of art galleries, luxury, and social status.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when Fanny randomly encounters Alain, her former high school boyfriend, on a Paris street. The chance meeting ignites dormant emotions and possibilities she had buried in her safe but passionless marriage.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Fanny makes the active choice to begin an affair with Alain. She crosses the line from innocent reconnection to adultery, entering a new world of passion, risk, and deception., moving from reaction to action.
At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat False victory turns to danger: Jean becomes suspicious. He notices changes in Fanny's behavior and begins investigating. The stakes raise dramatically - what was romantic becomes dangerous. Jean's controlling nature reveals a darker edge., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 71 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Jean murders Alain, staging it as a hiking accident. The literal death - Alain pushed off a cliff. Fanny's chance at authentic love is destroyed. The "whiff of death" is absolutely literal in this noir-inflected tragedy., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 76 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Fanny discovers evidence or realizes the truth - Jean murdered Alain. The revelation transforms everything: her marriage is not just loveless but lethal. She understands she is trapped with a murderer., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Coup de Chance's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Coup de Chance against these established plot points, we can identify how Woody Allen utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Coup de Chance within the comedy genre.
Woody Allen's Structural Approach
Among the 42 Woody Allen films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Coup de Chance represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Woody Allen filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Woody Allen analyses, see Everyone Says I Love You, Celebrity and Interiors.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Fanny lives a privileged Parisian life, married to wealthy businessman Jean. She appears content in her upscale world of art galleries, luxury, and social status.
Theme
Fanny's mother-in-law Camille observes that "we never know what fate has in store for us" and discusses the role of chance versus choice in our lives, establishing the film's central thematic question.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Fanny's world: her marriage to controlling Jean, her work at an auction house, their wealthy social circle, and the subtle emptiness beneath her glamorous surface. We see Jean's possessive nature and Fanny's passive acceptance.
Disruption
Fanny randomly encounters Alain, her former high school boyfriend, on a Paris street. The chance meeting ignites dormant emotions and possibilities she had buried in her safe but passionless marriage.
Resistance
Fanny debates whether to pursue connection with Alain. They meet for coffee, share memories, and she hesitates between her comfortable life and genuine passion. Alain represents the life unlived, the road not taken.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Fanny makes the active choice to begin an affair with Alain. She crosses the line from innocent reconnection to adultery, entering a new world of passion, risk, and deception.
Mirror World
Alain becomes the thematic mirror - he represents authentic love versus material security, passion versus pragmatism. Through their relationship, the theme of chance versus destiny deepens as their reunion seems "meant to be."
Premise
The promise of the premise: the affair flourishes. Fanny experiences genuine passion and emotional connection. Secret meetings, stolen moments, the thrill of living a double life. She discovers what her marriage lacks.
Midpoint
False victory turns to danger: Jean becomes suspicious. He notices changes in Fanny's behavior and begins investigating. The stakes raise dramatically - what was romantic becomes dangerous. Jean's controlling nature reveals a darker edge.
Opposition
Jean's suspicions intensify. He has Fanny followed, discovers the affair, and his possessiveness turns sinister. The pressure mounts as Jean methodically plans his response. Fanny remains unaware of the danger closing in.
Collapse
Jean murders Alain, staging it as a hiking accident. The literal death - Alain pushed off a cliff. Fanny's chance at authentic love is destroyed. The "whiff of death" is absolutely literal in this noir-inflected tragedy.
Crisis
Fanny grieves, devastated by Alain's "accidental" death. She processes the loss, trapped in darkness and unknowing. She suspects nothing of Jean's involvement, making her grief even more tragic.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Fanny discovers evidence or realizes the truth - Jean murdered Alain. The revelation transforms everything: her marriage is not just loveless but lethal. She understands she is trapped with a murderer.
Synthesis
The finale: Fanny must decide her fate. Does she confront Jean? Flee? Accept her gilded cage? The resolution plays out as she navigates her horror and Jean's cold satisfaction at eliminating his rival and keeping his possession.
Transformation
Final image: Fanny remains trapped in her privileged prison, the chance encounter that promised liberation instead sealed her fate. The ironic title resonates - the "stroke of luck" was actually a curse. She is transformed by knowledge but imprisoned by circumstance.