20 ANS D’ECARTS/ IT BOY
France, 2013, 92 minutes, Colour.
Virginie Efira, Pierre Niney, Charles Berling
Directed by David Moreau.
This is a slight French comedy, very Gallic in tone. As with so many of these romances, they sound good on the page, look good on the screen – but are not meant really to be reality. Although, the Americans do make similar kinds of films, like Down to You with Reese Witherspoon and Ewan Mc Gregor.
Virginie Efira plays Alice, a 40 something editor of the magazine, perfectionist, annoying practically everyone she deals with, but wanting to edit a new magazine Rebelle. She is warned that her particular perspective on magazines is out of date and that she will not necessarily get the job.
On a plane from Brazil she sat next to a young student, Balthazar, Pierre Niney, who steadies her during some particularly turbulent weather. When she loses her USB stick on the plane he contacts her – and, friendly with him, she decides to use him to change her image, hair, and wardrobe, her manner – and her being seen all around town with him. He is an engaging young student with a father with a roving eye, Charles Berling, and responds to Alice, falling in love with her, reacting when he discovers that she has been using him for her job. She has to go to persuade him to pose for the cover of the magazine, demanded by an owner from England. This leads to some farcical moments – but she has to take stock of herself, re-connects with Balthazar – and this is the end as well as the beginning of a cinema French fairytale.
1. A very Gallic romantic film? Audiences suspending disbelief, accepting the characters and the situation as real, but really a Gallic fairy tale?
2. The Paris settings, the magazine and its offices, homes and apartments, universities? Socials and parties? And the trip to Brazil? The musical score?
3. The title, indication of age differences? And the focus on Balthazar, his influence on Alice, her growing dependence on him, sexual relationship, falling in love?
4. The portrait of Alice, as editor, demanding, perfectionist, irritating the staff? Her visit to Brazil, the return, the toy at the airport, her fear on the plane, the passenger coming onto her, her reliance on Balthazar? Her losing her USB, Balthazar finding it, trying to give it back?
5. At home, her daughter, trying to control her, the daughter seeing through her mother? The visits from her former husband? Back to work, people talking behind her back?
6. The social engagements? The meetings at the office? The challenge to her perspective for the magazine? Her wanting it?
7. Balthazar getting in touch with her, her riding on the bike, people photographing her, on Facebook etc? Going to his house, his searching for the USB? With his father, his father as a womaniser, disappointed in not getting the phone call, moves towards Alice?
8. Alice and the tactic of inviting Balthazar, to the social, the kiss, more photographs, people laughing behind her back, the attitude of her boss? Plan for the magazine?
9. The change in her, her new clothes, the décolletage, make up, making her years younger? The reaction of her friends? At work? The daughter?
10. At home, the sexual encounter, effect on Balthazar, the effect on her? His being told that he was being used? The distance between them? Her realisation of what is happening, going to him, the bonds between the two?
11. Getting the editorship? The prissy English editor, looking at the cover, not liking the model, her remembering the fashion show, Balthazar and his gallantry with the falling model, her wanting him for the shoot? Going to him, difficult to persuade, the reaction of his father, taking him? Make up, the photographer and her being demanding, his reaction? The posing for the photo? In the water?
12. Alice, seeing the bus passing, Balthazar’s photo? Examining her own attitudes, making contact, discussions about age, comparisons between men and women and different ages, the facing the future together?
