It Boy

It Boy (20 ans d'écart) centers on Alice Lantins (Virginie Efira), a dedicated, highly organized 38-year-old fashion editor working at the trendy Parisian publication Rebelle. Alice has spent years prioritizing discipline and professional perfection over romance and leisure. When the position of editor-in-chief opens up, Alice seems like the natural successor; however, her boss, Vincent Khan (Gilles Cohen), considers her too conventional, bourgeois, and uptight to lead a provocative, cutting-edge magazine, favoring instead a younger, more daring Canadian candidate, Lise Duchêne (Amélie Glenn).

On a return flight from a business trip in Brazil, Alice shares a row with Balthazar Apfel (Pierre Niney), an awkward yet charming 20-year-old architecture student. During the flight, Alice accidentally leaves behind an essential USB drive containing her presentation materials. When Balthazar tracks Alice down at her office to return it, an innocent parting moment next to his scooter is photographed from an angle that makes them appear intimately engaged.

The photo circulates rapidly around Rebelle, instantly altering the office's perception of Alice. Seeing how dating an attractive, barely legal younger man suddenly grants her an enviable "edgy" and rebellious aura, Alice decides to fabricate a relationship with Balthazar to secure her coveted promotion. However, what begins as a calculated professional charade quickly turns chaotic when genuine emotions and generational differences collide.

Director David Moreau uses the structure of classic Hollywood screwball comedy to deconstruct social conformity, ageism, and performative identity. The film argues that modern professional culture frequently forces individuals into living for an imagined future—sacrificing vulnerability, authentic pleasure, and emotional truth in pursuit of curated status. Through Alice’s awakening, the film conveys that real liberation comes not from meeting corporate ideals of "coolness," but from shedding the fear of public judgment and allowing oneself to be genuinely spontaneous and emotionally exposed.

The Feminist Subversion vs. Rom-Com Concession: Some feminist critics celebrated the film for reversing the classic age dynamic and exploring female desire without shame. Conversely, other commentators argued that Alice’s need to feign a bohemian lifestyle to achieve professional success illustrates how corporate culture still penalizes women for seriousness and maturity.

Released in early 2013, It Boy arrived at a time when French commercial cinema was heavily dominated by traditional broad comedies and male-centered buddy films. By reversing the century-old cinematic trope of older men pursuing much younger ingenues, It Boy offered a refreshing, female-driven perspective on romance, aging, and corporate gender double standards.

The film served as a major career milestone for both lead actors: it solidified Virginie Efira’s transition from television personality to one of French cinema's most bankable and versatile leading ladies, and it established Pierre Niney as a charming, agile romantic lead just prior to his César-winning turn in Yves Saint Laurent (2014).

The movie's sustained domestic success proved that French romantic comedies could embrace American screwball pacing while maintaining distinctly French cultural nuances.

Praise: Critics and audiences widely praised the electric comedic chemistry between Virginie Efira and Pierre Niney, Laurent Tangy’s crisp cinematography, and the fast-paced, punchy dialogue. Pierre Niney's physical comedy and expressive charm received unanimous acclaim.

Criticisms: Some reviewers noted that the film strictly follows standard romantic comedy formulas (the predictable "lie revealed" trope, the grand public romantic confession) and occasionally leans on broad sitcom-style cliches.

Verdict: It Boy is regarded as one of the most effective and charming modern French romantic comedies of the 2010s, elevating a predictable premise through sharp timing, charismatic performances, and stylish execution.