108 minutes – Comedy
Release date: December 7, 2007
Canadian Distributor: Alliance Vivafilm

It would seem that Denys Arcand is having fun with us and having some fun himself. In a media release regarding funding in late 2006, Telefilm Canada described the film by writing, “The barbarian invasions have precipitated the decline of the empire and humanity has entered the dark ages,” which is the title of this film in English. This comedy-fantasy is set in a time where e-games and media images reign supreme. A civil servant, Jean-Marc Leblanc (Marc Labrèche, pictured above) leads a quiet, desperate life, regressing into a fantasy world while falling for Véronic Star (Diane Kruger), a beautiful movie actress. To emphasize the reality of media heroes, several famous people play themselves in this film, including the French actors, Thierry Ardisson and Laurent Baffie. Arcand says this is the third film in a triology formed by The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions. It was selected to be the closing film for the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Also see: Northernstars reviews L’ Âge des ténèbres.