Bright Days Ahead (2013) (aka: Les beaux jours) starring Fanny Ardant, Laurent Lafitte, Patrick Chesnais, Jean-François Stévenin directed by Marion Vernoux Movie Review

Bright Days Ahead (2013)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Fanny Ardant and Laurent Lafitte in Bright Days Ahead (2013) (aka: Les beaux jours)

Life is Bright

Having retired from her long career as a dentist Caroline (Fanny Ardant) starts heading to a seniors center where other retirees take part in a variety of activities from learning some acting skills to mastering a computer. Whilst humiliated in an acting class Caroline returns and decides to try her hands at learning to use a computer which is how she meets Julien (Laurent Lafitte) the much younger teacher. But it seems they connect and end up embarking on a relationships despite Julien not being a one woman man and the fact Caroline has been married for many years.

French class was that compulsory thing we all had to do for two years when we joined secondary school and unfortunately for me it was one of those lessons which I didn't take to, just something I had to do every week. It is because of that lack of interest that I never really learned the language and all these years later have forgotten most of what I was taught. But what it also means is that for a French movie to really work for me it has to work on a visual level to draw me, keep me interested and tell the story without the need for subtitles and sadly "Bright Days Ahead" doesn't achieve this.

The thing is I can't tell you what is wrong with it as this story about an older woman feeling young because of the horny advances of her younger teacher could have been both sweet and comical but for some reason it doesn't draw you in. Part of me thinks it is because it is in a rush to navigate any set up and get down to the fun which is Caroline feeling sexy and dressing young whilst dealing with the fact that Julien is a young man with other women. There is still plenty of fun to this and some of the dialogue is cracking whilst Fanny Ardant shines but there is a real lack of connection there for those who watch it as a foreign language movies.

What this all boils down to is that "Bright Days Ahead" is a fine little French comedy but it is one which doesn't grab you and delight you for the entire journey. Instead every now and then it throws at you a funny line or situation and hopes the rejuvination of Caroline will entertain which thanks to Fanny Adant comes very close to working.

Tags: Age Gap Romances


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