Les gamins (2013) Reviews

• Don't try to make it more than it is

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  Ugly Louis Garrel, French Zooey Deschanel (special offer: comes with bonus facial expressions), her obviously younger mother and a random old gay dude come together in this delightful romantic comedy that, from the start, never pretends to be anything else. With some truly laugh-out-loud funny scenes mixed with the occasional ― unexpectedly good ― thought-provoking line, this Woody-Allen-meets-Richard-Curtis -meets-"The-Intouchables"-meets- "Music-and-Lyrics"-meets,- well,-every-romcom-from-the-'90s piece constitutes 95 minutes of solid modern entertainment (with a nice soundtrack to boot!), and seems to me to have been misjudged and slightly underrated by common viewers and critics alike. Don't try to make more of it than it is. Like all romantic comedies, 'Les Gamins' intends to be nothing but a nice little declaration of the Love That Conquers All, including obviously impossible competitions and midlife crises. Unlike all romantic comedies, it can actually make you laugh, and the main relationship portrayed has a very nice ring to it (especially in the beginning of the story, where Thomas and Lola could pass for a couple from practically any tasteful witty/intellectual drama). Also, Iggy Pop? Well, if you're looking for a way to spend a relaxed hour and a half that is both fun and sweet but will not give you a cheesy overdose, watch this ― though I do suppose it makes for a pretty good date movie as well.

• Amusing, but not really

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  This movie is about of a couple of men, a musician engaged to a career woman and her retired father, who break free from their wet-blanket women for a little while to live as they choose, but of course reveal themselves as man-children in need of adult supervision, and come to realize that they have no other options in life, and that they must turn back before it's too late. This realization is softened by an unrealistic fantasy ending. Other than this vapid chick-flick plot, the movie is fairly amusing. It works best when it sticks to sly "French humor" rather than goofy characters or, God forbid, slapstick, though I guess those are pretty French too. Ahmadinejad is the butt of several jokes, and that kind of nasty political ridicule has sadly become rare in movies. It's an OK movie for a few laughs, as long as you don't take it seriously.