Les beaux jours (2013) Reviews

• ..other side of the pond they just do these kinds of films so much better

  bjarias2014-09-26

  If you're going to have a May/December affair with a woman in her mid 60's..Fanny is definitely the one you want to have it with. And even should you be same age or older, don't think you'd believe her to be an off choice. As for her performance in this film, it's once again pure Fanny Ardant.. she just makes it all look so relaxed and easy. She is (and has been for most her entire career) in a league all her own. It's a great cast overall, there are no weak performances. The script is straightforward, but again is so well done you do not realize how good it is until it's all over. And should you be fortunate enough in life to have experienced somewhat a similar circumstance.. all the more poignant.

• Entertaining display of post-retirement life gone bad (or good?)

  Horst_In_Translation2013-10-02

  This little French comedy "Bright Days Ahead" stars Fanny Ardant as a recently retired dentist, who, still under the shock of her best friends's death, discovers new life paths when her daughters send her to "Les beaux jours", an institution where a great number of retirees spends their hours sewing, playing table tennis or taking computer lessons. At these lessons, she meets Julien, a teacher and more than 20 years her junior, with whom she soon enters a passionate relationship that turns her dull retirement life upside down. Complications arise as she's been married for decades and Julien isn't a man for one woman either. It's a very French film, with lots of situation comedy from start to finish and if I'll watch it again at some point, I'll probably discover a lot more subtle nuances I oversaw the first time. Quite a hoot actually. It's very well written and never really drags. Real drama moments are rather rare, but executed properly as well, so taking everything into consideration this is definitely more of a feel-good comedy elevated by the script, Ardant's acting and a sweet ending where we see her taken and led by her husband's hand as opposed to several scenes earlier where her lover takes her by the hand to go places. It also has a couple memorable shots that show Marie Vernoux's talent, such as their first encounter in the car with the windshield separating us and everybody else in the world from their intimacy or the scene where Ardant's characters sits on a bench and we see Lafitte's leave on the right and, at the same time, one of her daughters entering the picture on the left. In contrast to her character, Fanny Ardant, well into her 60s by now, proves in this film why she is hopefully still far away from retirement. She delivers a quietly convincing performance of a character who simply isn't over the top and wouldn't have justified such an approach. There's nothing absolutely outstanding about this film, the script maybe coming the closest to such a description, but it's an entertaining 100 minutes with some decent French music that will probably go a lot more under the radar than they should.

• Lovely Days, Lovely Movie

  writers_reign2014-04-24

  This fine film is yet another case of Translator Talentless; the original French title is clear and unambiguous, Les Beaux Jours, literally The Good Days; nowhere is there any mention of the future, in fact if anything the title implies Golden Days in the past yet the translators have seen fit to render it Bright Days Ahead. Heigh Ho. Marion Vernoux is one of literally dozens of outstanding French female directors and her Rien a faire is one of the finest French films of recent years. In some ways there are echoes of Rien a faire here, both chronicle love affairs doomed to disaster, in Rien a faire the gulf was one of Class whilst in Les Beaux Jours the gulf is one of age. There are differences of course, and when I was lucky enough to meet Marion Vernoux at the London screening last night I made the point that Valerie Bruni Tedeschi (the star of Rien a faire) exudes vulnerability in heartbreaking quantities, Fanny Ardant (star of Les Beaux Jours) is much stronger emotionally. Patrick Chesnais is excellent as Ardant's husband and an ensemble cast complement the principals to a tee. A fine movie and one I will watch again and buy on DVD.

• Dignified woman has last fling with young man

  maurice_yacowar2014-04-28

  Marion Vernoux's Bright Days Ahead is a telling change from the French title, Les beaux jours. The original speaks of present joys, the mistranslation — of a promised future. Both titles share an irony. The English title is the name of the seniors club which recently retired dentist Caroline (Fanny Ardant) is given a trial membership in to sample the joys of pottery, theatre, field trips, computer workshops, etc., with her contemporaries. In their camaraderie and activity they seem bound for brighter days, except that their signs of aging and loss continue to build. The women already make a game of recalling their first signs of the doom of aging. But from the future perspective, the present compromises will seem "the bright days." While the others enjoy their activities and each other's company Caroline slips into an affair with their computer teacher, Julien (Laurent Lafitte), some 20 years her junior. She fills two cavities for him and he fills her larger one — briefly. The commitment is largely on her part and inevitably she loses him to more youthful beauty.That's the way of the whirled. The affair threatens Caroline's marriage to Philippe (Patrick Chesnais), who is an extremely positive character, sensitive to her emotional situation, supportive, and clearly broken when he hears of her affair. But the film closes on their reconciliation. They join her friends for a seaside daytrip. While the skinny dip at the end establishes the group's post- sexuality — they cavort heedless of their dilapidation — Philippe reports "a boner," which in context we do not read as a faux pas. After an apparent lapse in their intimacy we infer Caroline will now find in her marriage what she sought outside — mutatis mutandis. Her husband won't have the skills — sexual or technological — that Julien had, though he will continue more devoted. And perhaps he will see her newly illuminated by her attractiveness to a younger man: Philippe: Have you looked at yourself? Caroline: He does the job of looking at me! Despite the familiar romantic scenes and music — you don't need the langue to know it's Frrrranch — the age issue gives this film a touching distinction. Caroline's camel coat has a vulvic slit up the back which may suggest either her turning her back on that aspect of her life or, conversely, her wearing her sexuality as a badge and a need despite her age. We're more accustomed to seeing the young driven by sex. Here the elegant, sensitive and dignified elderly dentist shows that need can survive.

• Great film in many ways.

  larryhiker2017-03-25

  I watched and did a summary of Bright Days Ahead about three years ago and recently was searching comments for other reasons. It was exciting to see people who note the title and translation, i check them all too. For Les beaux jours, i had a slightly different opinion of the title and maybe more. Most of the time the French, Italian, ... films end up with some significant action near the end. They leave you thinking. So i always watch the end closely. The risk is sometimes you see what you want to see, not always the real meaning. Myself, is i see you and i running into the ocean and having fun as "Bright Days Ahead", and that title is an accurate real meaning of the movie. Perhaps the French might be happy with "De brillants jours à venir", from google translate. My point is the people that pick the titles, in all the languages, may be most interested in what font will go on the poster well and what will sell the most tickets. For me the title Bright Days Ahead is right on! Larry!