Au secours, j’ai trente ans! (2004)

Au secours, j’ai trente ans! is a French comedy romance film first released in 2004, directed by Marie-Anne Chazel.  The film is based on a novel by Marian Keyes and stars Pierre Palmade, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Nathalie Corré, Franck Dubosc and Marthe Villalonga.  It has also been released under the title: Last Chance Saloon.  Our overall rating for this film is: mediocre.


Tara, Kathy and Yann have remained friends since they were children.  Now in their early thirties, the time has come to reappraise their lives.  Yann has settled down into a seemingly happy relationship with his gay partner; Tara is cohabiting with her boyfriend, an unsympathetic teacher who badly neglects her; and Kathy seems incapable of having a long-term relationship with any man, in spite of the fact that she is the most attractive of the three and has no difficulty attracting admirers.  When he learns he has cancer, Yann pressurises his two friends into make some radical changes in their lives.  Tara must leave her loathsome partner and Kathy must embark on her first true love affair.

Marie-Anne Chazel had a successful career as a comedy-actress behind her by the time she decided to make her directorial debut with this lightweight romantic comedy.   Although the film isn’t going to win any awards for originality, it is fairly entertaining, with some engaging performances from an attractive cast.  The film’s beginning is an instant turn-off, resembling a hurried reprise of half a dozen previous episodes in a television serial (complete with irritating voice over).   This probably isn’t the most effective way of introducing characters to an audience, but thereafter the film settles down into the conventional comedy-drama routine and gets better as the narrative unfolds.  It’s a pity that the film is so riddled with clichés and the characterisation is so shallow, because, stylistically, the second half of the film is rather attractive and, in some places, quite touching.  It could be much better, but it’s still an appealing little film.

© James Travers 2007

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