Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
On his 50th birthday, a man who's been watching his weight, health and temper all his life suffers a heart attack. He's been doing everything he was told he should do and it still didn't help. He decides to turn the page and let loose.
Barbecue (2014) is a French ensemble comedy with a fairly conventional midlife-crisis premise — a man's heart attack prompts a lifestyle rethink among his friend group. The plot follows familiar beats of the genre without much surprise, and the cinematography is functional at best. The ensemble cast delivers warm, likable performances that elevate the material somewhat, and the film wraps on a reasonably satisfying note. It doesn't bring much that's distinctive or new to the comedy landscape, making it a pleasant but unremarkable crowd-pleaser.