The charm of this film owes itself in large part to the charismatic performance of Sami Bouajila in the title role. The plot is straightforward: when Felix (Bouajila) loses his job, he decides to hitchike to Marseilles in search of the father who abandoned him before he was born. Along the way, he crosses paths with a series of individuals who ostensibly represent different aspects of family. What makes the film so enjoyable, however, is that each character is not reduced to stereotype but is allowed to reveal individual quirkiness.

Felix introduces a younger man to club life in one town and shares a love of soap operas with an older woman in another. The lovable, attractive Felix charms those he meets even as he gradually comes to reassess the purpose for his journey in light of some of his encounters. The measured pace of the film perfectly matches a trip that has time for detours though it persistently returns to its original trajectory.

What raises this generally lighthearted film to another level, however, is a subtly-sketched background of personal trial and social conflict.

Life as a gay man of mixed parentage involves momentary eruptions of violence in what otherwise seems a carefree existence. That Felix maintains his positive outlook is what makes him so endearing and contributes to the success of the film. Ducastel and Martineau have crafted a film from which you leave both smiling and thoughtful.