15 ans et demi (lit. '15 years and a half', also known as Daddy Cool) is a 2008 French comedy film by François Desagnat and Thomas Sorriaux, starring Daniel Auteuil.
Contents
Plot summary
Philippe Le Tallec, an eminent scientist, has been living in the United States for several years. He returns to France to take care of his teenage daughter and hopes to make up for the lost years with her but Églantine is not interested and has far more important teenage preoccupations. Completely out of his depth, Philippe resolves to study fatherhood with the help of Jean-Maxence, a famous author of methods of fatherhood, with interventions from Einstein.
Cast
Daniel Auteuil : Philippe Le Tallec
Juliette Lamboley : Églantine Le Tallec, Philippe's daughter
François Damiens : Jean-Maxence
Lionel Abelanski : Guy, a friend of Philippe
Julie Ferrier : Fiona
François Berléand : Albert Einstein
Elise Larnicol : Sylvie
Benjamin Siksou : Gaspard
Lucie Lucas : Karine
Philippe Duquesne : Jean-Louis
Chick Ortega : Denis
Alain Chabat : Norbert
Sara Mortensen : Barbara, bald laboratory guinea-pig
Coura Traoré : Anne-Sophie
Canis Crevillen : Charlotte
Lionel Lingelser : Vincent
Maud Verdeyen : Zoé
Dylan Imayanga : Enzo
César Domboy : Achille
Edwin Apps : A scientist
Elie Semoun : The vindictive motorist
Vincent Desagnat : Radio voice
Background
The film is based on two works by the screen-writer and director Vincent Ravalec « Ma fille a quatorze ans » and « Papa zéro défaut », the latter including the elements of the father attending a re-education course. The shooting took ten weeks, of which Auteuil was available for only eight.
Critical reception
French reviewers considered the film a creditable French attempt at an American-style teen movie, derivative but entertaining on its own terms.
Reviews
Isabelle Regnier, "15 ans et demi" : un teen movie à la française, Le Monde, 29 April 2008.
15 Ans et Demi, Premiere, 30 April 2008.