A Difficult Year
{{short description|2023 French comedy film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = A Difficult Year
| native_name = {{infobox name module|fr|Une année difficile}}
| image = Une année difficile 2023 film poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Éric Toledano
Olivier Nakache
| producer = Nicolas Duval Adassovsky
| writer = Éric Toledano
Olivier Nakache
| starring = {{plainlist|
}}
| music = Grandbrothers
| cinematography = Mélodie Preel
| editing = Dorian Rigal-Ansous
| studio = {{plainlist|
- Quad
- Ten Cinéma
- Gaumont
- TF1 Films Production
}}
| distributor = Gaumont
| released = {{film date|df=y|2023|10|18}}
| runtime = 103 minutes
| country = France
| language = French
| gross = $6.9 million{{cite Box Office Mojo|id=21352380|title=A Difficult Year (2023)|access-date=9 December 2023|publisher_hide=yes}}
}}
A Difficult Year ({{langx|fr|Une année difficile}}) is a 2023 French comedy film written and directed by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache.{{cite magazine|last=Keslassy|first=Elsa|date=16 January 2023|title=Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache on Their New Comedy With Gaumont, 'A Difficult Year,' Where Eco-Activists and Over-Spenders Cross Paths|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/eric-toledano-olivier-nakache-gaumont-a-difficult-year-1235480891/|magazine=Variety|access-date=8 August 2023}}
The film centres on Albert (Pio Marmaï) and Bruno (Jonathan Cohen), two friends with compulsive spending habits who are drawn into environmental activism by the promise of free food and beer rather than any political conviction.{{cite magazine|last=Keslassy|first=Elsa|date=25 January 2023|title=Gaumont Sells Most of Europe and Beyond for Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache's Comedy 'A Difficult Year;' Unveils New Still|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/global/gaumont-eric-toledano-olivier-nakache-difficult-year-1235501785/|magazine=Variety|access-date=8 August 2023}}
The cast also includes Mathieu Amalric, Luàna Bajrami, James Gaspar De Almeida, Jean-Louis Garçon, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Noémie Merlant, Héléna Mogelan, Marie Papillon, Sophie Parel, Julie Tessier and Gaïa Warnant.
Cast
- Pio Marmaï as Albert
- Noémie Merlant as Valentine "Cactus"
- Jonathan Cohen as Bruno
- Mathieu Amalric as Henri
- Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet as Quinoa
- Luàna Bajrami as Antilope
Production
A Difficult Year was produced by Quad and Ten Cinéma, in co-production with Gaumont and TF1 Films Production.{{cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/449861/|title=Review: A Difficult Year|last=Lemercier|first=Fabien|date=15 September 2023|website=Cineuropa|access-date=8 October 2023}}
Distribution
The film was screened at the 2023 Cannes Film Market,{{cite magazine|last=Leffler|first=Rebecca|date=16 May 2023|title=Cannes 2023: the buzz titles from France|url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/cannes-2023-the-buzz-titles-from-france/5182034.article|magazine=Screen International|access-date=8 August 2023}} and had preview screenings in Clermont-Ferrand{{cite news|last=Bernard|first=Marie|date=15 July 2023|title=Olivier Nakache et Éric Toledano présentent leur dernier film : 'Une année difficile'|url=https://www.lamontagne.fr/clermont-ferrand-63000/loisirs/olivier-nakache-et-eric-toledano-presentent-leur-dernier-film-une-annee-difficile-i_14343550/|newspaper=La Montagne|language=fr|access-date=8 August 2023}} and La Valette-du-Var,{{cite web|url=https://www.info83.fr/une-annee-difficile-en-avant-premiere-rencontre-avec-eric-toledano-et-olivier-nakache/|title=Une année difficile en avant-première : rencontre avec Eric Toledano et Olivier Nakache|date=29 July 2023|website=Info83|language=fr|access-date=8 August 2023}} in advance of its official commercial premiere in October.
The film had its international premiere in the Special Presentations stream at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.{{cite magazine|last=Canfield|first=David|date=24 July 2023|title=Big Stars and Bigger Oscar Contenders Lead Toronto Film Festival Lineup|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/07/awards-insider-toronto-international-film-festival-lineup-2023|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=8 August 2023}}{{cite magazine|last=Daniels|first=Robert|date=14 September 2023|title='A Difficult Year': Toronto Review|url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/a-difficult-year-toronto-review/5185902.article|magazine=Screen International|access-date=22 September 2023}}
The film was theatrically released on 18 October 2023 by Gaumont.{{cite web|url=https://ecran-total.fr/2022/04/22/gaumont-date-le-prochain-film-de-nakache-et-toledano/|title=Gaumont date le prochain film de Nakache et Toledano|last=Choppin|first=Damien|date=22 April 2022|website=Écran total|language=fr|access-date=8 October 2023}}
Reception
A Difficult Year received an average rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars on the French website AlloCiné, based on 35 reviews.{{cite web|url=https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm-302829/critiques/presse/|title=Critiques Presse pour le film Une année difficile|website=AlloCiné|language=fr|access-date=2 December 2023}}
Robert Daniels of Screen International gave the film a skeptical review. Though praising acting of Marmaï and Cohen, he noted overall shallowness of the film's heroes, and criticized the plot twists as implausible.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{imdb title|21352380}}
{{Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Difficult Year, A}}
Category:2020s French-language films
Category:Films directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano
Category:Gaumont (company) films
Category:TF1 Films Production films
{{2020s-France-film-stub}}