Directed by: Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache
Written by: Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache and Nathalie Hertzberg
Run Time: 1 hour 59 minutes
Coming-of-age may just be the most relatable genre we have. After all, few of us will ever rob a bank or become a secret agent, but most of us will grow up. There’s real emotional potential in evoking the memory of adolescence, and when done right, its poignancy can feel unparalleled. No doubt hoping to tap into this same cinematic power are French directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache with their latest drama, Just an Illusion.
Set in a suburb of Paris in 1985, the film follows Vincent (Simon Boublil) as he approaches his teenage years and prepares for his bar mitzvah. He lives with his mother (Camille Cottin) and father (Louis Garrel) and shares a room with his older brother, Arnaud (Alexis Rosenstiehl). Caught between the constant quarrels of his parents and his brother’s territorial angst over their bedroom, he searches for belonging elsewhere, perhaps finding it with classmate Anne-Karine (Jeanne Lamartine) after being paired together for a school project.
Just an Illusion begins with a burst of energy that will be familiar to anyone who grew up with siblings: a brotherly bedroom brawl. It establishes the tumultuous relationship between Vincent and Arnaud, while maintaining a levity to their aggression that makes clear its unseriousness. Arnaud likes new wave, while Vincent prefers funk, and the fight for poster space is probably the most intense of their conflicts, even if each does have a deeper desire for a sanctuary of their own. Of course, Arnaud usually comes out on top, leaving Vincent to find solace somewhere else — the other side of the bathroom door will only do for so long!
While these brotherly bust-ups are mostly trivial, there are other problems at home. Vincent’s father, Yves, has lost his job amid rising unemployment, but has yet to admit it to his family, while his mother, Sandrine, is trying her best to advance her own career after 15 years at the same firm. Their respective stresses are indicative of the distance between the couple, but their arguments never feel mean-spirited. This distinction ensures that the film remains light-hearted, while both Camille Cottin and Louis Garrel retain a playfulness that bridges the gap between parents and children — they’re just trying to work everything out too. This dysfunction is only made more amusing by their ever-present neighbour Mr. Berger (Pierre Lottin), whose flirtatious advances towards Sandrine offer Just an Illusion some of its most effective comedy.
Everyone is funny in this film, though, and this brings with it an effortless charm that welcomes you into their world, while hopefully reminding audiences of their own upbringings. Whether it’s Vincent and his friends trying to rent an adult movie or Yves desperately trying to win a radio competition, Just an Illusion is far more interested in humour than heaviness, giving it a genuinely joyful quality. Capitalising on this already gleeful nature, its wonderful 80s soundtrack — which is infused into the ebbs and flows of the narrative — affords it a blissful rhythm that feels both nostalgic and moving. Not restricted to the taste of one character, the range of artists, including The Cure, The Pointer Sisters and Imagination, gives the film a varied sound and widens its audience appeal.
Of course, the main focus is Vincent’s coming-of-age, which newcomer Simon Boublil handles brilliantly. He gives Vincent just the right amount of youthful naivety while still imbuing the character with personality. Refreshingly, Vincent’s story, while at times punctuated with sadness, is not bogged down in melancholy or trauma, something this genre can often be guilty of. Rather, the film spreads its attention, also allowing Yves and Sandrine moments of their own, reinforcing the idea that coming-of-age doesn’t really have an end point. Arnaud is the only member of the family who isn’t really given his own plot; however, he’s such an important figure in each family member’s story that this purpose becomes one of the picture’s most crucial elements too.
Ultimately, this eventually frames a messy family portrait that’s still being painted. Writer-directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache’s broad cinematic brushstrokes allow for several vibrant outbursts of feeling, while more detailed instances of introspection can be found on their canvas too. Family life is hard at every stage, but Just an Illusion reminds us of our unique ability to ease these struggles for those we love, and sometimes, with the simplest of gestures.
Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Just an Illusion – in UK & Irish cinemas 11th September
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