Le Péril Jeune (Good old daze)

Directed by : Cédric Klapisch
Starring : Romain Duris, Vincent Elbaz, etc.

This film was actually made for a TV channel called Arte by the youth-oriented films specialist Cedric Klapisch. This is also the debut film of Romain Duris, one of the top actors of French cinema today.
The film begins with four old friends sitting in a hospital lobby waiting for the birth of their friend Tomasi’s child. Tomasi is dead from a drug overdose. The friends reminisce about the good old days at ‘lycée’ (the French equivalent of high school I guess) – the girls, the secret crushes, professors and finally, drugs.
Duris, who plays Tomasi, in his very first role, reveals himself to be a natural. In fact, the whole film is so realistic that it brings back the bittersweet memories of our school days.
The film is funny and poignant at the same time. The language, which is predominantly colloquial, was a little difficult to understand. But all in all, a very enjoyable film.