Bright Days Ahead

BRIGHT DAYS AHEAD ( LES BEAUX JOURS ) 2013

Fanny Ardant is the star in this lightweight comedy of infidelity and reawakened passion of sensuality: It is a love story from the French cinema that graces our non-Gallic screens in a refreshment of elegance by the French actress.

'Les Beaux Jours' is an activity club for the 'seniors', and Fanny Ardant -who plays 'Caroline' -attends free classes with gift vouchers given to her as a present from her two daughters after Caroline takes early retirement as a dentist.

Caroline's initial attendance at the club is not successful as she is apprehensive and feels estranged from enjoying the fun of the class-room activities: Her best friend died five months earlier -and her early retirement was an unsavoury issue due to a bad working relationship with a former colleague.

It is only later at home when her husband complains of computer problems that Caroline will return the next day to attend a computer class for guidance to resolve the home issue of an internet connection: And here, with the attraction of a hypersexual tutor -that a romance will inflame into passion.

Fanny Ardant will glide through the film with a graceful command of confidence as an actress: The new romance will excite into an oblivion sense of freedom from the constraints of marriage and daytime routines of home life -it is like a teenage love affair of attraction; except that the 60 year old Caroline, played by our French actress -oozes command with experience of aged wisdom in a carefree freshness of living in the present: The film will reflect this idea throughout - and there is a lovely and sustained filming at the seaside beach with her grandchildren flying a colourful kite that is directed and willed only by the charm of the sea wind.

Eventually, the story of the new romance will want to uproot itself with desire to return home to foundation: The outcome is pleasantly rewarding to invigorate a renewal of life interest itself: There is a lovely film score, with a buzz of romantic music to accord to the background melody. It was filmed at the seaside port of Dunkirk, which adds to the film's attraction. I recommend the film for light entertainment in reminiscence of a nagging feeling of youthful past: But I also highly recommend Fanny Ardant who is a charming actress of the French cinema! Also stars, Patrick Chesnais as her husband, and Laurent Lafitte as her lover: A beautiful film!