''Bright Days Ahead'' (french: Les Beaux Jours) is a 2013 French

romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

directed by

Marion Vernoux Marion Vernoux (born 29 June 1966) is a French director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, Vernoux was the only daughter of a casting director and of a set decorator. After several experiences as a producti ...

. It was screened in the Gala Presentation section at the

2013 Toronto International Film Festival The 38th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 5 and 15, 2013. '' The Fifth Estate'' was selected as the opening film and '' Life of Crime'' was the closing film. 75 films were ...

. In January 2014,

Fanny Ardant Fanny Marguerite Judith Ardant (born 22 March 1949) is a French actress and film director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two César Awards and a Lumières Award. Early life Ardant was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, Fr ...

received a nomination for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...

at the

39th César Awards The 39th Annual César Awards ceremony, presented by the French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques (Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma), was held on 28 February 2014, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. ''Me, Myself and Mum'' rec ...

. Based on a novel by Fanny Chesnel, it tells the story of a married woman who retires at age 60 and joins a computer class, where she starts an affair with the much younger instructor.

Plot

In a port on the north-west coast of France, Caroline retires from her husband's dental practice at age 60. Her married daughters give her a trial subscription to “Les Beaux Jours”, a club for retired people, where she joins the computer class. She and Julien, the instructor who is in his thirties, feel a mutual attraction and start an affair of snatched encounters. Her behaviour becomes increasingly reckless: wearing heavy make-up, taking up smoking, drinking lots of wine, endlessly receiving and sending texts, ignoring family friends, disappearing at odd hours, and coming home with clothes awry. Her husband warns her that he and others can't help noticing. Nevertheless, she books a short holiday in Iceland for her and Julien. At the airport, as Julien is chatting to a young Englishwoman on their flight, Caroline realises that she must release him to his sort of world and return to hers. She rings her husband to fetch her home.

Cast

as Caroline *

Laurent Lafitte Laurent Lafitte (born 22 August 1973) is a French actor. He is known for playing the role of Patrick in ''Elle''. In March 2016 he was named as the host of the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival The 69th Cannes Fil ...

as Julien *

Patrick Chesnais Patrick Chesnais (born 18 March 1947) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter. Life and career Patrick Chesnais was born in La Garenne-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine. He was educated at the '' Lycée Pierre Corneille'' in Rouen. In 1989 ...

as Philippe *

Jean-François Stévenin Jean-François Stévenin (; 23 April 194427 July 2021) was a French actor and filmmaker. He appeared in 150 films and television shows since 1968. He starred in the film ''Cold Moon (1991 film), Cold Moon'', which was entered into the 1991 Canne ...

as Roger *

Fanny Cottençon Fanny Cottençon (born 11 May 1957) is a French actress and film producer, born in Port-Gentil, Gabon (then in French Equatorial Africa). In 1983 she won the César Award for Best Supporting Actress for her effort in the movie ''L'Étoile du Nord ...

as Chantal *

Marie Rivière Marie Rivière (; born 22 December 1956) is a French actress and filmmaker. She is known for her collaborations with director Éric Rohmer. From a working-class background, Marie Rivière grew up on a housing estate/project in Montreuil before ...

as Jocelyne aka Jojo *

Marc Chapiteau Marc Chapiteau (born 17 August 1946) is a French actor. Selected filmography * ''La meilleure façon de marcher'' (1976) * ''Julien Fontanes, magistrat'' (1987–88) * ''Our Happy Lives'' (1999) * '' Je te mangerais'' (2007) * ''Blood from a ...

as Hugues *

Féodor Atkine Féodor Atkine is a French actor of Russian-Polish origin, born on 27 February 1948 in Paris. A screen performer, he has participated in numerous plays, films and television series in France and abroad. Life and career Féodor Atkine was born ...

as Paul *

Olivia Côte Olivia Côte is a French actress. Filmography Actress Writer Theater References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cote, Olivia French film actresses Living people 21st-century French actresses French television actresses Year of ...

as Lydia * Catherine Lachens as Sylviane * Alain Cauchi as Jacky *

Émilie Caen Émilie Caen is a French actress. She is known for playing the role of Ségolène in ''Serial (Bad) Weddings ''Serial (Bad) Weddings'' (french: Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu?, lit=What have we done to the Good Lord?) is a 2014 French comed ...

as The hostess

References

External links

* 2013 films 2013 romance films French romance films 2010s French-language films Films directed by Marion Vernoux 2010s French films {{2010s-romance-film-stub