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This is such an accessible crossword! the 1a is hysterical, its spot on. 5 d is a perfect anagram describing exactly the content of the film. 6d, well there are only so many French phrases for 'in a while'. and this one starts with one letter, so...
I'm not very good at crosswords and the Everyman is the only one I can handle, and many of them recently have had me completely befuddled and close to giving up the habit altogether, but todays has got me back on board.
So how out of step with the rest of this forum do I feel?
having said all that, Im stumped and humbly ask help with

17a Surprising appearance of genetic material (lacking nitrogen) startled Darwin. (4.4)

17 is an anagram of "Darwin" after two letters from genetic material. Not a very precise definition!

@ georgekirrin
Re 6d...
I think you are wrong there..... the definition is "French farewell"....
"in a while " is part of the parsing…..
it is an anagram of another term for "a while" + "note"

I agree with the parsing for 6d. but the expression does also translate as "see you in a while"

Yes, "a bientot " translates as "see you soon".... but "in a while " is NOT the definition as previously stated.

I agreed with you Elle !

Yes, I did realise that, Cerasus ,but I thought the conversation might be clouding the issue for " georgekirrin" (should he ever come back to read what we 've said ) so thought I would stress the distinction

Got the pig/seasoning—thanks cerasus and chrise— but not the crosses. 2d: morose at first, and cut up, faced with ordeal at school. (4). E?a?

4d. Absence of emotion in ‘about a boy’ (6). Rea?o?
Thanks

Just got 4d. So just 2d now.

4d re a son
I cannot agree with the def. absence of emotion. I may be wrong