"Bright Days Ahead" is an odd sort of film for me to review. On one hand, I adore foreign films--particularly French ones. But, on the other, I am hopelessly conservative when it comes to marriage and relationships. I am happy I married my first and only love...even after nearly 30 years. Because of this, some of the themes in the film don't resonate with me at all...though I will still admit that I thought the film was well made and worth a look.

Caroline (Fanny Ardant) is going through a major transition in her life. Her best friend recently died and Caroline has just retired from her dental practice. Figuring out what to do and who she wants to be is the subject of this unusual film about aging. When the film begins, she's going to a local senior center to take some classes...hoping that something will pique her interest. However, her first several attempts are not particularly satisfying and she's very tentative. But, in the process, she ends up finding something she did enjoy...another man. And, he's a much younger and handsome man. While this isn't usually a serious problem, Caroline is married and having an affair could ruin her marriage or bring on other unforeseen consequences. Not surprisingly, she eventually does have an affair--though the consequences on her and her marriage are probably not what you might expect.

I liked some aspects of a film quite a bit. As a retired guy, I can relate to how difficult it might be making some huge life changes. In my case, it worked out well--but it IS a major change and is a bit like a loss. The old you is dead and you need to create a new you. I also appreciate that the film shows a 60-something woman as a very sexual and sensual being. Too often, films seem to be giving us the message that sex and love pretty much end by middle age. While this isn't overtly said in films, think about how often movies, particularly big-budget Hollywood films, have older folks in sexual relationships--unless it is perhaps a comedy. And, how many show these older people as vibrant, real and sexy? Well, "Bright Days Ahead" does...and this is something I really appreciated.

On the other hand, as I mentioned above, am very traditional. Because of this, the notion that affairs are okay or even good is something that troubled me--especially since I have known folks who were seriously harmed by their partner cheating on them. I would have enjoyed it more had the film shown these negative consequences or had Caroline been single. Instead, the film left me feeling uncomfortable...and why I cannot recommend it without some reservations.

Setting aside my misgivings for a moment, I cannot ignore that the film is well made and interesting. The acting is quite nice and the film does make you think. Worth seeing...just don't believe in its message too much--especially since people so often get hurt.

If you're going to have a May/December affair with a woman in her mid 60's..Fanny is definitely the one you want to have it with. And even should you be same age or older, don't think you'd believe her to be an off choice. As for her performance in this film, it's once again pure Fanny Ardant.. she just makes it all look so relaxed and easy. She is (and has been for most her entire career) in a league all her own. It's a great cast overall, there are no weak performances. The script is straightforward, but again is so well done you do not realize how good it is until it's all over. And should you be fortunate enough in life to have experienced somewhat a similar circumstance.. all the more poignant.

This little French comedy "Bright Days Ahead" stars Fanny Ardant as a recently retired dentist, who, still under the shock of her best friends's death, discovers new life paths when her daughters send her to "Les beaux jours", an institution where a great number of retirees spends their hours sewing, playing table tennis or taking computer lessons. At these lessons, she meets Julien, a teacher and more than 20 years her junior, with whom she soon enters a passionate relationship that turns her dull retirement life upside down. Complications arise as she's been married for decades and Julien isn't a man for one woman either.

It's a very French film, with lots of situation comedy from start to finish and if I'll watch it again at some point, I'll probably discover a lot more subtle nuances I oversaw the first time. Quite a hoot actually. It's very well written and never really drags. Real drama moments are rather rare, but executed properly as well, so taking everything into consideration this is definitely more of a feel-good comedy elevated by the script, Ardant's acting and a sweet ending where we see her taken and led by her husband's hand as opposed to several scenes earlier where her lover takes her by the hand to go places. It also has a couple memorable shots that show Marie Vernoux's talent, such as their first encounter in the car with the windshield separating us and everybody else in the world from their intimacy or the scene where Ardant's characters sits on a bench and we see Lafitte's leave on the right and, at the same time, one of her daughters entering the picture on the left.

In contrast to her character, Fanny Ardant, well into her 60s by now, proves in this film why she is hopefully still far away from retirement. She delivers a quietly convincing performance of a character who simply isn't over the top and wouldn't have justified such an approach. There's nothing absolutely outstanding about this film, the script maybe coming the closest to such a description, but it's an entertaining 100 minutes with some decent French music that will probably go a lot more under the radar than they should.