The sixth evening of the 21st Rome Film Fest had a distinctly French accent. According to Vanity Fair Italia’s red-carpet round-up, the faces the photographers chased most were Camille Cottin and Louis Garrel, the two leads of Juste une illusion, the new comedy from Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, the duo behind the much-loved Intouchables.
Dior for Camille Cottin
Camille Cottin, familiar to many viewers from Call My Agent!, House of Gucci and A Haunting in Venice, chose Dior for the evening. Vanity Fair Italia’s fashion critic Federico Rocca liked the look overall but admitted that the sandals left him undecided, and scored it between six and seven out of ten. Louis Garrel kept things relaxed with light, casual suede lace-ups, a choice the magazine found a touch too laid-back for a red carpet.
The French pair were not the only ones worth a second look. One of the night’s top marks went to Romana Maggiora Vergano in Stella McCartney, while Francesca Alice Antonini, her co-star in Michela Cescon’s Desiderio, won praise for a lilac look. It is a useful reminder that one confident colour, or one well-chosen accessory, can carry an entire outfit. A soft violet pairs beautifully with amethyst earrings, and a single pendant from our pendant necklaces does the same job for a simple black or white dress.
A family comedy set in 1985
The festival’s official guide describes Juste une illusion as a comedy about the moment childhood slips away. It is 1985, and Vincent, about to turn 13, lives in the Paris suburbs with a distant older brother and parents who never stop arguing. Caught between being a child and an adult, he starts asking big questions about identity, friendship, family, religion, desire and first love. Camille Cottin and Louis Garrel play his parents, with Pierre Lottin, Simon Boublil, Alexis Rosenstiehl and Jeanne Lamartine completing the cast. Costumes are by Isabelle Pannetier and the music is by the British jazz trio GoGo Penguin.
The film was screened in Rome on 18 October, and Italian film site Cinema4Stelle reported a standing ovation. It reaches Italian cinemas on 14 January 2027 as Just an Illusion – La mia famiglia quasi perfetta, distributed by 01 Distribution. Reviewing it in September, The Guardian found it funny and sweet, with Louis Garrel and Camille Cottin sparking as a couple in crisis.
If the 1980s setting has you in a nostalgic mood, a little colour goes a long way: try ruby earrings for a hint of red-carpet glamour, or a compact crossbody bag for festival-hopping of your own.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia (19 October 2026); Rome Film Fest official film guide and 2026 programme (romacinemafest.org); Cinema4Stelle (19 October 2026); The Guardian (8 September 2026). Featured photo: empty auditorium with red velvet seats by Shivam via Pexels (illustrative).
