Those Were the Days

LE PLUS BEL AGE, with Gael Morel, a film continuing to play the festival circuit in the U.S., is set in the world of Morel's two other well known films, modern French youth. The film features Elodie Bouchez, who appears in all three of these films, to date. The young people and their school in this film are, however, in another league. We are shown here the French equivalent of the prestigious English public schools. Curiously, French films set in this milieu are as scarce as British films on the subject are numerous. This is one of the film's most interesting aspects. The intrigue among these elite students is made captivating due to the casting of France's cream of youth talent: Morel, Melvil Poupaud, and the now universally acclaimed Elodie Bouchez. I recommend it only for francophiles seeking a rare contemporary glimpse of the children of the "Grande Bourgeoisie".

Unless you're really into artsy films, I'd avoid this one. But it does have the two required elements of a French movie: smoking and nudity. It's about students in some sort of honors literary college. I suspect that some of the esoteric ideas that the professor has are somehow related to these students. The college also has a small group of military guys, which would be referred to in the States as ROTC. Early on, our protagonist, an attractive girl, witnesses the suicide of another female student (or was she pushed?). The witness then becomes involved with the "pusher" and the brother of the one who committed suicide. Strange things and relationships develop. I can't spoil this for anyone because I have no idea what the ending is about. Unless we look at this from a thematic standpoint. I think Le Bel Âge tells us that one's younger years are not necessarily the best. And the girl walking independently down the street at the end is headed toward independence and a brighter future.

Ask a middle-age psychologist what was '90s like? She'd say they still dwell within me.

Ask Bruce Willis today, why everyone hated The Color Of The Night, but you loved yourself as a psychologist attempting to save a suicidal teen from killing herself, he'd say they still dwell within me.

Ask a middle-age Michael Jackson breakdance fan what was '90s like? He'd say they still dwell within me.

Asked Elodie Bouchez what was '90s like? She said ''LE PLUS BEL AGE" (it was the most beautiful age) to live, to love, to have sex, to suicide

What would Zalman King say?

What would Serge Gainsbourg say?

Exactly 'tis the same:

One can't understand the age of '90s the period from 1989 'til 2000 looking onto it from the year 1988, nor from the year 2002, further to the past and to the future makes the understanding even harder and unostentatious.

For a screenwriter, thriving to make producers option his script of a movie retelling the '90s, Le Plus Bel Age with its socio-drama style, adds a layer an idea.

Great opening with a mystery in this film, unique fast-paced photography, and eroticism action is in the style of Zalman King... Meaning very very very rare, A gem, A coming of age teenage socio-drama movie for the top cinephile's collection.