«MILF», but where are we going?

Cinema Wednesdays - Jonas Follonier

Three women in their early forties travel to the seaside vacation home of one of them (Virginie Ledoyen). It's going to be a rather dull trip: they have to clear out her belongings in preparation for the upcoming sale of the house. But adults, it is said, all retain a part of their childhood. Helping their friend through this difficult phase is just too exhausting. «What if we went sailing? Sailing's great!»

In the end, it’ll be a motorboat ride for the two 38-year-old girls (Axelle Lafont, Marie-Josée Croze). Their girlish squeals, their rather clumsy driving, and above all—watch out, ladies, young ladies, and gentlemen—their MILF, catches the eye of two handsome guys (Waël Sersoub, Matthias Dandois)—one very muscular, the other heavily tattooed, both incredibly dumb. And so the ridiculous romance begins.

Note: MILF, a term originating from pornographic websites, refers to a woman of a certain age who is perceived as desirable and sought after by young men. Not to be confused with the cougar, a woman of a certain age who is looking for younger male partners. The MILF, ...she, for her part, didn't ask for anything. A rather hypocritical scenario, as you can see—who asks and who doesn't?—and in any case, it's irrelevant. The fact is that this porn concept has become the title of a French comedy.

So, what can I say, other than platitudes? The plot is disastrous. The acting is pitiful. There’s no humor. The hour-and-a-half runtime is a waste of time. The moral—did I dare use that term?—is frightening: «As long as we love each other, everything’s fine.» Love each other? Does that mean «getting it on,» «rubbing bellies,» as Rabelais put it? Let’s not confuse everything, and let’s stop—let’s stop—inflicting this vision of society on the little girls who come to see the movie with their mothers. Who are approaching forty, of course.

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Photo credit: © Frenetic Films