Quand on sera grand (2000)
Directed by Renaud Cohen

Film Review

In his first full-length film as a director, Renaud Cohen paints a colourful, true-to-life yet slightly tongue-in-cheek picture of adult life.  The characters are generally well-drawn, although Cohen doesn't quite mange to avoid the obvious stereotypes (the dotty grandmother, the beaten wife, the standoffish Jewish father, etc).  Whilst the film feels fragmented and, in places, painfully incoherent, the quality of the acting is of a high enough standard to make the film watchable, if not profound, and, in places, pleasantly entertaining.

Film Synopsis

Having reached the age of thirty, Simon, a Jew of Algerian descent, is forced to re-evaluate his life when he discovers that his work as a journalist no longer gives him any satisfaction.  He has been in a relationship for sometime but this is now under threat since it appears that he and his partner Christine are unable to have children.  Add to this the fact that Simon no longer gets on with his father and his grandmother is becoming ever-more deranged and you realise how close he is to a full-on mid-life crisis.  He can expect no sympathy or support from his friends - they are too busy fending off their own relentless barrages of slings and arrows.  Simon's life is about to take an unexpected turn when he begins a relationship with his pregnant neighbour, Claire, who has more than her own fair share of woes...