Watch Bright Days Ahead

Bright Days Ahead is a French film released in 2013, directed by Marion Vernoux, and features leading actors Fanny Ardant, Laurent Lafitte and Patrick Chesnais. It is a light-hearted romantic film exploring the themes of age, love, passion, and self-discovery. The story follows Caroline, a retired dentist in her mid-sixties, struggling to fill her days with anything other than idle routines. Her daughter is married and now off to live in another town, leaving Caroline with a sense of isolation and a lack of purpose. In an attempt to shake things up, she attends a computer class at the local senior community center, and meets a younger computer instructor Julien, with whom she strikes up a romantic relationship.

Caroline's husband Philippe (Patrick Chesnais) is skeptical of her newfound independence and accuses Julien of taking advantage of her. Caroline's lover, Julien (Laurent Lafitte), pushes her to explore new experiences pushing her boundaries and challenging her beliefs. Caroline must face the consequences and make a choice between her secure and comfortable life with her husband or a new life of passion and discovery with Julien.

The movie showcases Caroline's journey in discovering the most important things in her life while reflecting on her past experiences. She reminisces about the highs and lows of her marriage, which has lost its spark and passion. Caroline’s new relationship with Julien is the highlight of the movie, as the two's dynamic is a mixture of excitement, apprehension, and seduction. The relationship between Caroline and Julien is playful and passionate, but also tender and real. They explore each other and life, lending a sense of authenticity to their emotions.

Aside from the love story, the movie also highlights the struggles of being an older adult. Caroline encounters obstacles like ageism in her job hunting, the physical limitations that come with aging, and the judgement she receives from her friends and family for pursuing a romantic relationship with someone younger than her. Yet, despite these obstacles, Caroline refuses to let age define her, instead of embracing it as a new season of life with new opportunities.

The film was praised for its performances, particularly those of Fanny Ardant and Laurent Lafitte. Ardant is excellent in her portrayal of Caroline. Her graceful charm and elegance radiate through the screen. She carries the movie with ease and is convincing in her portrayal of a woman trying to navigate life in her mid-sixties. Lafitte is charming in the role of Julien, injecting the movie with the energy of youth.

The film features a beautiful soundtrack that captures the film's tone and mood, which are both playful and romantic. The cinematography is excellent, with the movie using bright and warm colors to reflect the title, "Bright Days Ahead." It perfectly embodies the film's messages of living life to the fullest and cherishing every moment.

Overall, Bright Days Ahead is a feel-good movie that touches on themes of love, passion, ageism and generational differences. The movie is a refreshing take on late life relationships and the struggles that older adults face. The lead actors deliver an exceptional performance, making the movie worth watching. If you enjoy romantic dramas that delve into life's complexities, Bright Days Ahead is a must-watch.

Bright Days Ahead is a 2014 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.3 and a MetaScore of 57.