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SYNOPSIS:
Jean, a shy waiter working in a grand hotel, is mistaken for
a young millionaire by beautiful, scheming adventuress Irene.
When she discovers his lowly status, Irene beats a quick retreat.
But love struck Jean has no intention of letting her escape,
and pursues her to the Cote d'Azur. Quickly running out of
money, he adopts his beloved's lifestyle, setting himself
up as a gigolo and moving into a magnificent luxury hotel.
Irene at last accepts this new Jean. She starts to give him
advice, she grows closer and closer to him, not realizing
that love is working its subtle magic on her too.
MOVIE
REVIEW
The
impression that stuck with me the most after watching this
finely-made French romantic comedy (the mention of the word
‘French’ already guarantees its quality) is how
thin Audrey Tautou (The Da Vinci Code, A Very Long Engagement)
is. There are a few scenes in this film you get to see the
actress’ bare back, and wow, the spine is amazingly
boney!
But
since I’m not a girl who wishes that I can as thin as
the French actress, and that I’m not supposed to sound
like some gossipy auntie at the marketplace, this review shall
move on to discuss how finely made the movie is.
Tunisian
Pierre Salvadori directs Tautou and a very earnest Gad Elmaleh
in this story about a materialistic young lady who accidentally
woos a shy bartender, thinking that he is a filthy rich suitor
who can give her whatever she wants. And as all feel-good
romantic flicks go, love blossoms between them and you can
see a happy ending one quarter into the film.
However,
you’d want to sit through this 102-minute movie because
it is a pleasant ride where misunderstandings will milk some
good-natured laughs from you. The wacky and genuine funny
sequences may not be the most innovative you had seen, but
the spot-on timings of the gags are a delight to enjoy. Being
a French movie, you know they have the ability to be more
creatively engaging than your usual Hollywood rom-com.
Elmaleh
may not be the most dashing male lead you’ve seen around,
but like fine wine, his character’s sincerity and occasional
goofiness will grow on you, and eventually grow on Tautao’s
money-oriented gold digger.
There
is an exquisite enchantment throughout the movie that will
hook your good taste for movies. Maybe it’s the pretty
and fashionable costume design, maybe it’s the classy
songs that make the soundtrack of the movie, maybe it’s
the cast’s breezily comfortable acting, or maybe simply
because this is a French film – you’ll be left
impressed by the priceless magic of love by the end of the
movie. Smiles guaranteed too.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This Code 3 DVD contains no bonus features.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The disc’s visual transfer makes Tautou and the entire
picture look gorgeously classy, and soundtrack is presented
in French Dolby Digital 2.0.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
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