What is it about?
After graduating, Felix and Vincent are two young broken hands from the Atlantic coast struggling to find their place in the working world… and life in general. Then two friends decide to hire a team of “specialists” to turn their neighborhood grocery store into a night business during the holidays. Rest assured, none of this is completely illegal…
Between the Fifi gang and a pastiche of Ocean’s Eleven, Almost Légal is an unexpected French comedy to discover with your friends this summer! The film premiered at the Alpe d’Huez Comedy Festival at the beginning of the year and was very well received.
Almost Legal, which is a sequel to a short film already noticed in Alpe d’Huez – Denmark – has a peculiarity based on the casting of young talents who give the film a lot of freshness. Director Max Moore called in a few guests like Marie-Anne Chazelle or Jérôme Niel (and others whose surprises we’ll keep for you), but he was able to surround himself with a group of his friends for the main roles, which was great. Energy for the project.
Young talent and communicative participation
The alchemy of this group of friends is sociable and recalls the co-starring of films such as The Sky and Your Mother in the 90s around Jamel Debussy and the group’s first films in Fifi, namely Babysitting 1 and 2.
After Nous les Leroy, L’esprit Coubertin and Bis Repetita, Almost Légal is part of the renewal of the French comedy landscape. “We just arrived– says Max Moreau at our microphone!There’s something for everyone, but it’s true that I’m happy to see new faces. Even if I love all the cult comedies that everyone loves – I love The Visitors and OSS – but this is a cool little update“.
Influence from the USA
While watching the film, we feel that Max Moreau loves French comedy, which he conveys through this film, while bringing an American touch to it. Almost Legal is also meant to be an homage or pastiche of films like Ocean’s Eleven by revisiting the heist film. We also discover the influence of Judd Apatow and Tarantino.
“Admittedly, the idea in structure was a bit of a pastiche of Ocean’s Eleven. It is quite understandable, along with the formation of the team, flash forwards, where everything falls into place before our eyes. That was the main clue“.
Listen to our interview – the full podcast with Max Maurus
How to make your first comedy, instructions!
During this interview, Max Mauro agreed to share some tips and elements of his journey. Because Almost Legal is a great example of a first feature film that can inspire a younger generation of filmmakers. How do you start comedy when you’re just starting out? Max Mauro shares his experience on our microphone.
Almost Legal hits theaters this Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
