It Boy

If you walked into a theater in 2013 expecting a revolutionary deconstruction of the romantic comedy, you probably walked out disappointed. But if you were looking for a chic, high-energy French farce that understands exactly how ridiculous the fashion industry can be, It Boy (or 20 ans d'écart) was a small, glittering gift. It arrived right as the "cougar" trend was peaking in pop culture, yet it manages to feel less like a tabloid headline and more like a classic screwball comedy that accidentally wandered into a modern-day Apple store.

I watched this on my laptop while a very insistent fly kept trying to land on my left ear, which strangely mirrored the buzzing, high-strung persistence of the film’s protagonist. Alice Lantins, played by the luminous Virginie Efira, is the kind of character who drinks green juice like it’s a legal requirement and organizes her life with a precision that borders on the pathological. She’s 38, works for Rebelle magazine, and is stuck. Her boss, played with wonderfully dry cynicism by Gilles Cohen, thinks she’s too "uptight" for the top job. The solution? A chance encounter with Balthazar, a 20-year-old student with a pink helmet and a vintage moped.

The Art of the Fake Fling

The brilliance of the setup isn't just the age gap—it’s the calculation. When a photo of Alice and Balthazar surfaces, her colleagues suddenly view her as "edgy" and "daring." The movie treats 38 like it’s one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, which is a bit of a 2010s-era eye-roller, but Virginie Efira sells the desperation so well that you forgive the premise. She isn't just looking for a boyfriend; she’s looking for a brand identity.

Pierre Niney, who plays Balthazar, is the film's secret weapon. Before he was winning awards for Yves Saint Laurent or Frantz, he was here, looking like he was sketched by a Disney animator who was told to make a 'French nerd' as adorable as humanly possible. His comedic timing is effortless. Whether he’s struggling with a heavy door or trying to act suave while clearly out of his depth, he brings a puppyish sincerity that keeps the film from feeling predatory. The chemistry between him and Virginie Efira shouldn't work on paper, but their physical comedy—specifically a sequence involving a very small bed—is top-tier stuff.

A Horror Director’s Rom-Com?

One of the weirdest bits of trivia about It Boy is the man behind the camera. David Moreau is primarily known for the 2006 French-Romanian horror film The Them (Ils) and the American remake of The Eye. You wouldn't think the guy who specialized in "hooded killers in the dark" would be the right fit for a bright, bubbly Parisian comedy, but his background in tension actually helps.

Comedy is just horror with a different punchline; both rely on rhythm. David Moreau and his cinematographer Laurent Tangy shoot Paris with a glossy, digital vibrancy that feels very "late-transition era." This was 2013—the world was moving from the grainy textures of the 2000s into the hyper-clean, saturated look of the social media age. The film captures that transition perfectly, making the Rebelle offices look like a high-tech fortress of "cool."

What Ages Like Fine Wine (and What Doesn't)

Looking back from a decade away, It Boy occupies a strange space. It’s pre-TikTok, pre-heavy influencer culture, but it’s acutely aware of how "image" is becoming the only currency that matters. The "older woman/younger man" trope has been handled with much more gravity in recent years, but there’s something refreshing about how this film refuses to be a "prestige" drama. It’s a comedy, first and foremost.

It does lean into some dated cliches—the "gay best friend" trope (played by Michaël Abiteboul) feels a bit thin, and the ending is exactly what you think it is from the five-minute mark. However, the script by David Moreau and Amro Hamzawi is sharp enough to keep the engine humming. It avoids the bloat that kills so many modern American comedies; at 92 minutes, it’s lean, mean, and knows exactly when to get off the stage.

The supporting cast, particularly Charles Berling as Balthazar’s father, adds a layer of "proper" French cinema pedigree to what could have been a disposable flick. It’s a film that knows it’s a bit silly and leans into it with a wink. If you missed this one during the 2013 shuffle of blockbusters, it’s a perfect "bus ride" movie—fast, funny, and surprisingly sweet.

Ultimately, It Boy succeeds because it trusts its leads. Virginie Efira proves she’s one of the most capable comedic actresses of her generation, and Pierre Niney effectively launches a career that would soon dominate French cinema. It’s a stylish, breezy reminder that sometimes the best career move isn't a better resume, but a total lapse in judgment. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a damn good time.