A young woman from the north of France and a young man from the south of France have fallen in love and have announced their engagement. Wanting to do the right thing, the father of the fiancé invites the whole family of the fiancée in order to get properly acquainted. It soon turns out that the pater familias from the north and the pater familias from the south, both of them strong-willed men, have sharply different personalities. This does not bode well for the future of the young lovers...
"L'âge ingrat" begins as a comedy and gradually turns into a more serious piece of drama. It's notable mainly for uniting two living legends of French cinema, to wit Jean Gabin and Fernandel. With a combination like that, one expects fireworks. The movie, however, is remarkably unremarkable : it's the kind of thing one watches with vague enjoyment, only in order to forget all about it the next day. Gabin and Fernandel do well enough, but their collective star power is wasted on a slight and bland story. The comedy (which relies mainly on the cultural differences between the north and south of France) could have been funnier ; the drama could have been more profound, more meaningful or more moving.
Another point of interest : Fernandel had brought along his flesh-and-blood son, in order to play the father-son duo from the south. (Fernandel's son would later embark on a career as singer/crooner and entertainer.) Here, too, the viewer gets to enjoy little in the way of real sparks.
People interested in the culture of France can watch "L'âge ingrat" for a slice-of-life description of the habits and manners of respectable middle class citizens during the early 1960's.
Me, I was left with the impression that the fiancée, near the end, had made the wrong decision - a woman should cut off her own two feet rather than marry a jealous man - but doubtlessly other viewers and reviewers will form their own opinion.
"L'âge ingrat" begins as a comedy and gradually turns into a more serious piece of drama. It's notable mainly for uniting two living legends of French cinema, to wit Jean Gabin and Fernandel. With a combination like that, one expects fireworks. The movie, however, is remarkably unremarkable : it's the kind of thing one watches with vague enjoyment, only in order to forget all about it the next day. Gabin and Fernandel do well enough, but their collective star power is wasted on a slight and bland story. The comedy (which relies mainly on the cultural differences between the north and south of France) could have been funnier ; the drama could have been more profound, more meaningful or more moving.
Another point of interest : Fernandel had brought along his flesh-and-blood son, in order to play the father-son duo from the south. (Fernandel's son would later embark on a career as singer/crooner and entertainer.) Here, too, the viewer gets to enjoy little in the way of real sparks.
People interested in the culture of France can watch "L'âge ingrat" for a slice-of-life description of the habits and manners of respectable middle class citizens during the early 1960's.
Me, I was left with the impression that the fiancée, near the end, had made the wrong decision - a woman should cut off her own two feet rather than marry a jealous man - but doubtlessly other viewers and reviewers will form their own opinion.