What would you do if your dream holiday went terribly wrong…? This is the setup for Happy 50, when on arriving at the airport, a close friends’ flight to Greece is cancelled. Instead, the 50th birthday boy and eternal optimist of the group, Yves (played by Guillaume de Tonquédec) invites them all to his holiday house in Brittany. Thereby subjecting his poor wife Laure (played by Lysiane Meis) to be the unwitting hostess, cook and housekeeper often scarce from most of the fun.
Soon bored and with few ways to keep spirits high, Yves’ friends’ own foibles rise to the surface. After a few too many glasses of a spiked virgin cocktail, Yves watches as his friends begin to turn on one another, picking apart each other’s shortcomings, piece by piece. Meant as harmless fun, the holiday begins to reveal far more about Yves’ circle of friends than they bargained for – causing too much unwanted attention for Laure.
This has a lot of the hallmarks of 2019’s Palm Beach with Bryan Brown. The comical moments are heartwarming, the emotional elements not heavy, and a happy ending will be delivered. Set in the beautiful French Brittany region, those who haven’t yet booked an overseas trip will get their travel fix here.
Happy 50 makes its Australian premiere at the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival. Check your local guides for screening times.
About Happy 50
Language: French with English subtitles
Rating: M
Length: 99 mins
Directed by Éric Lavaine
Stars Lambert Wilson, Franck Dubosc, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Jérôme Commandeur, Caroline Anglade
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