In “Just an Illusion,” Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano revisit their childhood: France during the Mitterrand era, walkmans, pop-rock of Téléphone. A golden age that many filmmakers draw from today.
It all started in America: the 1980s appear in Ready Player One (2018) by Steven Spielberg, through the music of Duran Duran and Depeche Mode. Three years after Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, revised by J. J. Abrams, who, like in 2011 with Super 8, reactivates nostalgia, like the first episode of the cult saga.
Following suit, the series Stranger Things, immerses the viewer in a nostalgic and fantastical world, with a group of kids riding BMX bikes, dressed as Ghostbusters. It’s not a parody, but a fetishization of an era that includes music, walkmans, walkie-talkies, and fashion trends.
In France, filmmakers like Vincent Maël Cardona, François Ozon, and Gilles Lellouche have also explored the 1980s. Recently, Lellouche, in “Crazy Love,” skillfully surfs on this retro wave, enhanced by the unforgettable hits of Deep Purple and The Cure.
In “Just an Illusion,” Nakache and Toledano take us to 1985, in a Parisian suburb. The story follows Vincent, a 13-year-old boy, navigating his family’s struggles in a changing world.
The 1980s represent an era of nostalgia for many, a time marked by hope, societal evolutions, and technological advancements. This nostalgia is seen as a comforting escape from the complexities of the present day.
The 1980s, with its iconic music and pop culture figures, continue to hold a special place in the collective imagination. The trend of nostalgia for this era is likely to persist, as evidenced by upcoming films like “Miami Vice” and their return to the glamour of the original series.
“Just an Illusion” is now showing in theaters, offering a nostalgic trip back to the 1980s.
