Today we have another new release — the French film “Just an Illusion” (Juste une illusion, 2026).
At first, you need a little time to get used to the French style of storytelling, but after 20 minutes of watching, you can no longer tear yourself away from the screen. You are already inside this family, inside their conversations, music, arguments, first feelings, and small discoveries.
And then you just start to enjoy it.
Family through the eyes of a child
The story takes place in the year 1985 in the suburbs of Paris.
At the center of the story is almost 13-year-old Vincent, who lives between his constantly arguing parents, an older brother, school, friends, and his first crush.
But what worries the boy most are the questions for which adults, for some reason, have never come up with proper answers.
One of our favorite dialogues goes something like this:
— Why are we even here on Earth? Why do we live and why do we die? Why do people get sick and suffer? Where do we go after death? And how do you know if you are a messiah or not?
— Check if he has a fever.
— Looks like you're not a messiah.
And that is the whole film.
It talks about some pretty big things, but it does so lightly — through humor, family conversations, and a child's ability to ask the most uncomfortable questions in an absolutely serious voice.
First kisses, music, and goosebumps
“Just an Illusion” is not a film with one grand plot rushing headlong toward a finale.
It is more of a recollection of growing up.
First love. Awkward glances. A first kiss. Music that suddenly becomes more important than anything else in the world. An older brother you simultaneously want to kill and adore. Parents who seem all-knowing—until one day you realize they don't really know anything themselves.
It is precisely here that the film gradually becomes very warm.
There is romance. There is humor. There is wonderful music from the 1980s. There are moments when you smile, and a few seconds later, you unexpectedly get those very goosebumps.
A magnificent French family
The film’s directors are Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, the creators of "1+1".
And that explains a lot.
Once again, they manage to do the most important thing: take ordinary people, with all their imperfections, quirks, and weaknesses, and make us fall in love with them.
Vincent's parents are played by Louis Garrel and Camille Cottin. And the boy himself is played by Simon Boublil, who becomes the true heart of the film.
Camille Cottin we remember from "Call My Agent!".
Garrel is especially good here: funny, nervous, lively, and completely unlike the ideal cinematic father.
But there are no perfect people here at all.
That is precisely why the family feels real.
A bit like "The Education of Little Tree"
In terms of feeling, the film reminded us somewhat of "The Education of Little Tree" — not literally in plot, but in its outlook on the world.
When adult matters are shown through the eyes of a child.
When simple questions unexpectedly turn out to be philosophical.
When growing up is not the moment you turn a certain age, but the gradual discovery that the world is much more complex than it seemed.
Only here, all of this is presented in a completely French way: lighter, more ironic, more romantic, with music, dancing, and first love.
And yet — why are we here?
The film does not try to give a definitive answer.
And, perhaps, it is right to do so.
Perhaps the meaning lies precisely in these little things: in a family dinner, an awkward conversation, a favorite song, a first kiss, in the ability to laugh when everything seems too serious.
"Just an Illusion" is a funny, light, soulful, and surprisingly vibrant film.
It is that rare case where, after the final credits roll, you do not want to analyze the plot.
You simply want to sit with that feeling for a few more minutes.
Gaya rating — 8,8 out of 10.
A very French, very warm movie about family, childhood, and the moment when you first begin to understand: adults are also just trying to figure out why we are all here.
