@sdedalus. Sorry for the quick dismissal of what you found fascinating. I like the idea, but I found that once it was presented in the beginning there wasn't much more to it. It reminded me of how every movie set in a college always has a classroom scene at the beginning (usually it's Scene 4) where the professor explicitly states the movie's theme. We get it again with that painting that was actually a copy of the real painting, and I liked that scene.
It does nothing for me when applied to the couple, and maybe that's because we are watching actors play this couple, just like in many other films. Had Binoche's husband actually been played by Binoche's husband, then it would've clicked for me. But we accept on-screen couples as actors playing a part. Make this movie with Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman where they talk about real events and when Uma mentions how this movie is like those movies Ethan made with Julie Delpy... NOW I have something to ponder. That would be the meta-commentary on cinema that you found and I didn't.
Lobby reminded me of another reason why I think we're in the moment at all times. In the cafe, Binoche knows English and Italian, but says that her husband only speak English. A little later, he is speaking French (I think he does both) which is intriguing to "the game". I saw it as him only knowing English when they first got married, but he learned French over the years.
FroHam, I liked your words about a couple putting on a forgery when they are out in public. I didn't think about it during the movie. It's a huge difference that Scenes From a Marriage plays everything in private and here it's all out in public. Pat yourself on the back for pointing that out. For the record I was never bored by the film. I just didn't find the conversation nearly as interesting as in the other two films I keep bringing up.