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Just an Illusion

  • All Sites: 10 Dec 2026
Runtime: 115 min
GENRES: Comedy
Offensive language
M

From Eric Toledano and Oliver Nakache, the award-winning directors of The Intouchables and A Difficult Year comes Just an Illusion, a heartwarming and brilliant comedy set in the suburbs of Paris in 1985.

The film follows Vincent (an incredible debut performance from Simon Boublil), a boy standing on the precipice of his 13th birthday and his Bar Mitzvah - a milestone that feels more like an identity crisis than a celebration.

Vincent’s mother Sandrine (Camille Cottin, Three Friends) tries to hold the family together with her job as a secretary, while his father Yves grapples with unemployment and a wounded ego.

Caught between his parents’ frequent arguments and a distant older brother, Arnaud (Alexis Rosenstiehl), Vincent must find his own rhythm in a family that is out of sync.

Simon Boublil is being hailed as a major discovery for his performance as Vincent, carrying this nostalgia soaked tale with a winning combination of vulnerability and dry humour. Meanwhile, French cinema stalwarts Cottin and Garrel deliver explosive but grounded chemistry.

Directors Toledano and Nakache blend the infectious energy of a classic 80s soundtrack with their signature brand of heartfelt humour, for their most personal film to date.

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