May
20
2012

CARELESS LOVE

by Roy

Reviewed by GREG KING

Director: John Duigan

Stars: Nammi Le, Peter O’Brien, Andrew Hazzard, Ivay Mak, David Field, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Eamon Farren, Simon Garratt, John Duigan.

This is Australian writer/director John Duigan’s first film in nearly a decade, and is his first Australian-made film since 1993’s Sirens. Duigan is the director behind modern Australian classics like the coming of age tale The Year My Voice Broke and Flirting, but has spent most of the past two decades working overseas. The film is an exploration of sex, sexuality, relationships and contemporary, typically male, attitudes towards sex and prostitution.
One of Duigan’s early films was Winter Of Our Dreams, which featured Judy Davis as a drug-addicted prostitute. However, here the story unfolds from a different perspective, and the journey of the central character is markedly different. This is a character driven piece about a young woman, the choices she makes and the consequences of those choices.
Linh (played by newcomer Nammi Le, from the low budget drama Ra Choi) is of Vietnamese descent, and it is important that she is not seen as a victim. She is a student studying social anthropology at Sydney University by day, and working as an escort by night, where she goes by the name of Mai. She has taken to this line of work as a means of earning extra money to help her family pay off their mortgage, as they are struggling ever since her father lost his job. She has managed to juggle both her studies and her role as a high class escort working for the Orient Express agency, until her two worlds collide in unexpected fashion.
But careless Love is also about the various men in her life and their attitudes. Luke (Peter O’Brien) is an enigmatic American art dealer who used to work for the mercenary Blackwater agency in Iraq and is now involved in smuggling stolen artifacts. He befriends Mai, and becomes a regular client, but there is a dangerous element to their friendship. Jack (Andrew Hazzard, from Home And Away, etc) is a fellow student and part-time actor and bar tender, and they move in together. She manages to cover her nocturnal activities by saying that she is in the library studying. But when Jack learns of Linh’s other life he is confused, shaken and angered.
And of course Linh is unable to tell her family the truth how she is raising the money because they would be ashamed. Duigan brings a grim realism to this exploration of the seedy and often dangerous world of prostitutes, and there is a particularly confronting scene involving Linh’s co-worker Mint (Ivy Mak).
Duigan has filled out the cast with a deft mix of veterans and new faces, and they all deliver solid performances. Linh is a strong and resilient character, and Le gives a wonderfully complex performance that hints at her innocence and vulnerability but also her strength.  David Field has a strong presence as Dion, Linh’s driver and protector, who has a sympathetic ear for his charges. Hazzard has a likeable and engaging presence. Hugo Johnstone-Burt is effective as the sleazy Seb, who exposes the truth about Linh after she refuses to sleep with him. And Duigan himself brings a touch of humour to the film through his brief appearance as a university lecturer.
Most films dealing with prostitutes are sensational in nature (eg, Jon Hewitt’s seedy thriller X, etc), and treat the central character as a victim. But Duigan’s approach is far more sympathetic, sensitive, restrained and compassionate, and reflects his interest in deeper social issues and moral questions. Nor does he romanticise the profession, a la Pretty Woman and its ilk. There is very little on screen sex, and what there is is tastefully done without any hint of exploitation.
Careless Love has been seductively shot on location around Sydney by cinematographer Kathryn Milliss, who comes from a documentary background, and her use of the RED camera gives this low budget feature a glossy surface.
**1/2

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May
19
2012

THE DICTATOR

by Roy

Reviewed by GREG KING

Director: Larry Charles

Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kinglsey, Anna Faris, Jason Mantzoukos, John C Reilly, Fred Melamed, Megan Fox, Joey Slotnik, Chris Parnell, Chris Elliott, Adam Lefevre, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Piddock, Edward Norton, Dennis Rees, Garry Shandling.

What’s not to like about a comedy lovingly dedicated to the memory of the late Kim Jong-il, supreme leader of North Korea?
The Dictator marks a change in approach for comic Sacha Baron Cohen. His previous films like Ali G Inda House, Borat and Bruno were all based on characters he had originally created for his tv show. The Dictator is a completely original character, and the film eschews the same sort of mock documentary approach of those other films. Gone are the ambush style interviews, the impromptu stunts. Instead, The Dictator is a conventional scripted comedy, with a tight structure and a coherent narrative.
Cohen has co-written The Dictator with Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schafer (the team behind Curb Your Enthusiasm, the raunchy comedy Euro Trip, etc) and they seem to be on the same wavelength. The crude humour is aimed at the lowest common denominator and is pretty much hit and miss, although it seems to hit the mark fairly often here. Cohen’s outrageous brand of humour is deliberately racist, sexist, homophobic, and politically incorrect, and he pushes the boundaries of good taste. Even though the film is less edgy than Bruno or Borat, there is still something here to offend almost anybody. The film pokes fun at terrorism, Jews, celebrities, the United Nations, the US, feminists, vegetarians, greenies, and fascist dictators, but there is also some telling political satire.
Cohen plays Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen, the egocentric and eccentric despotic rule of the fictitious nation of Wadiyah, a rogue African country. Aladeen is loosely based on infamous despots like Gaddafi and Hussein, albeit played for laughs. Oil rich and with unlimited wealth, the incompetent Aladeen rules his nation with an iron fist, indiscriminately ordering the execution of anyone who offends him. But when he is forced to go to New York to address the United Nations about rumoured weapons of mass destruction he falls victim to an attempted coup by Tamir (Ben Kingsley), the rightful heir to the throne, who is plotting to overthrow him.
Aladeen is kidnapped and replaced by a hapless double, a naive, filthy goat herder (also played by Cohen) who will do Tamir’s bidding. Tahir secretly wants to become the next supreme leader of Wadiya so he can sell the oil rights to several multinational companies that are willing to pay billions for them.
Aladeen manages to escape and finds himself adrift on the mean streets of New York. He gets a job working at the Free Earth Collective, a health food store run by the ultra-feminist and aggressively green Zoey (a miscast Anna Faris), whom Aladeen calls a “lesbian hobbit”. But romance slowly blossoms between this mismatched pair as she discovers Aladeen’s vulnerable side, which adds a different tone to the humour.
With the help of Nadal (Jason Mantzoukas, from Parks And Recreation, etc), a former nuclear scientist from Wadiyah, Aladeen plots to resume his rightful role as supreme leader of his country. A funny scene has Aladeen and Nadal taking a helicopter ride over New York and talking about Osama Bin Laden, 911, and fireworks in their native tongue, which is misunderstood by an American couple.
Recent appearances in films like Hugo have demonstrated that Cohen is capable of more than just playing cringe-worthy cultural stereotypes, and this is probably his most rounded performance. He has a ball as the eccentric Aladeen, mangling the English language and making inappropriate remarks. Kingsley is given little to do as his duplicitous brother, but brings a sense of authority to his role. And there are plenty of cameo appearances from the likes of John C Reilly, Edward Norton, Garry Shandling, Jim Piddock, Megan Fox and Kathryn Hahn.
Another great comic touch sees Erran Baron Cohen (Sacha Baron Cohen’s brother) remix some popular songs with incomprehensible Wadiyan lyrics. Larry Charles, who has directed Cohen’s previous two features, ensures that the material moves at a fairly quick pace. At a rather brisk 83 minutes, The Dictator is never in danger of outstaying its welcome.
Not since Chaplin made The Great Dictator in 1940 has an actor dared have this much fun while ridiculing a powerful world leader.
***

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May
15
2012

SILENT SOULS

by Roy

Reviewed by GREG KING

Director: Aleksei Fedorchenko

Stars: Yuriy Tsurilo, Igor Sergeev, Yulia Aug, Larisa Damaskina, Olga Dobrino, Viktor Gerrat, Artem Habibulin.

This low-key Russian drama has been well received at a number of international film festivals, and it won the FIPRESCI critics’ prize at Venice in 2010. But Silent Souls is a film that will have limited appeal to a mainstream audience. Silent Souls is set against the background of the Merjas, an obscure and ancient Finno-Ugric tribe from Lake Nero, a picturesque region in north-west Russia. The film looks at some of their culture and traditions, which are in danger of disappearing altogether.
Written by Denis Osokin (Inzeyen – Malina) the film itself is an existential road journey that explores themes of death, grief, religion, tradition, memories, and provides some insights into the customs and rituals of this little known community in this remote corner of the world. Silent Souls also won the Best Screenplay Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2011.
Following the death of his wife Tanya, factory manager Miron (veteran Russian actor Yuriy Tsurilo) decides he wants to take the body back to the shores of the lake where they spent their honeymoon, where he will cremate her remains in accordance with an ancient custom. Water is sacred to the Merjas. He asks his best friend and colleague Aist (Igor Sergeev, from Downfall, etc) to accompany him. Symbolically, the pair is accompanied by a pair of small, caged songbirds that Aist has recently purchased.
During the thousand mile drive, Miron shares intimate memories of married life through a ritual known as “smoking.”. Through a series of flashbacks we learn more about the relationship between the dour Miron and his much younger wife. But Aist also was secretly in love with Tanya, a guilty secret that affects their relationship. Aist acts as the narrator for this journey, and he also recalls his troubled relationship with his father, a half-crazed Merjan poet.
This is the third feature from Russian director Aleksei Fedorchenko (The Railway, etc), who works with lots of long takes and effective stretches of silence. This approach is especially evident in the scene where the two men lovingly wash down the body of the corpse. Fedorchenko’s understated and minimalist approach to the material is reminiscent of the droll style of idiosyncratic Finnish director Aki Kurismaki, as well as legendary Russian director Tarkovsky. The film itself is poetically haunting, sensual, lyrical, and bleak, with superb widescreen cinematography from Mikhail Krichman, which brings to life the stark, wintry and forbidding landscape.
Silent Souls is a deceptively simple film on the surface, but it represents an act of mourning for both the deceased Tanya and for the lost culture and traditions of the Merjan peoples. Like Rolf de Heer’s fascinating Ten Canoes, this is a film that examines an ancient culture, folklore and rituals that have almost been lost in a modern world.
Silent Souls runs for a brief 75 minutes, but its deliberately slow, ponderous pacing and melancholic mood makes it feel far longer, and it will test the patience of many.
*1/2

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May
13
2012

IRON SKY

by Roy

Reviewed by GREG KING

Director: Timo Vuoensola

Stars: Julia Dietze, Gotz Otto, Stephanie Paul, Peta Segeant, Christopher Kirby, Udo Kier.

Nazis on the moon?
If that title sounds like something out of the 50s, that’s because this wonderfully offbeat sci-fi film from Finland comes across as an homage of those B-grade films from the era. In this ambitious and clever sci-fi parody we get Nazis, nutty scientists, and an ambitious female President.
The year is 2018. Since 1945 a colony of Nazis have been hiding out on the dark side of the moon. Fanatic Nazi scientists, led by the megalomaniacal Moon Fuhrer Kortzfleisch (Udo Kier), have been working on a 60-year project to build the Battleship Götterdammerung and retake planet Earth. When two astronauts land on the moon they get their opportunity. One of the astronauts is killed by Nazi stormtroopers, while Afro-American astronaut Washington (Chris Kirby) is captured and interrogated. Washington claims the mission is just a publicity stunt for the President of the United States, who is seeking re-election.
Meanwhile back on Earth, the female President, a Sarah Palin look alike (played by Stephanie Paul) is preparing for the upcoming election campaign. The ruthless Klaus Adler (Gotz Otto) and the idealistic Renate Richter (Julia Dietze), travel to Earth to prepare the invasion, and get caught up in the campaign, thanks to the President’s ruthless political adviser Vivian Wagner (Peta Sergeant).
Iron Sky is the first feature film for Finnish cult director Timo Vuoensola, the lead singer in metal band Alymysto. The clever script was written by Michael Kalesniko (Private Parts, etc), and is based on an original idea from Jarmo Puskala, a regular collaborator with Vuoensola on his cult Star Trek spoof Star Wreck. Iron Sky was largely funded by contributions and donations from fans from all over the world, an interesting way to raise the seven million Euro budget for the film. It has taken six years for the film to reach screens.
The film boasts some visually impressive CGI digital effects sequences – there were some 890 CGI shots for the film. A Finnish, German and Australian co-production, Iron Sky was largely shot in studios on Queensland’s Gold Coast. The production design is impressive, especially the Swastika shaped Nazi fortress on the moon. In keeping with the deliberately low rent vibe of the material, the props and sets for the Nazi’s moon base feel cheap. The moon sequences have been shot in stylised grey by cinematographer Mika Orasmaa (Rare Exports, etc).
There are some nice performances from the cast, who throw themselves into the silly material with abandon.
There are plenty of politically incorrect moments peppered throughout the film, such as when a mad scientist injects Washington with albino formula to turn him white. Unfortunately, Vuoensola cannot sustain the energy and freshness of the material for the film’s duration. The tone is also uneven, veering between high camp, action and over-the-top political satire.
***

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May
13
2012

DARK SHADOWS

by Roy

Reviewed by GREG KING

Director: Tim Burton

Stars: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter, Bella Heathcote, Jonny Le Miller, Chloe Moretz, Jackie Earle Haley, Gulliver McGrath, Christopher Lee, Alice Cooper, Jonathan Frid, Ray Shirley.

This remake of the cult television show Dark Shadows, the Gothic daytime soap opera that was created by Dan Curtis and ran from 1966-1971, is perfectly suited to the offbeat sensibility and distinctive visual style of director Tim Burton. So it is a little disappointing to report that his take on Dark Shadows is a little under whelming. Writers John August and Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, etc) bring a tongue in cheek approach to the material, cheerfully sending up the source. Unfortunately, the film squanders the potential for some wonderful comedy in the story of an 18th century vampire transplanted to 20th century America.
The film reunites Burton with Johnny Depp, and over the course of their seven previous collaborations the pair have developed a wonderful rapport and they complement each other’s wacky style. Both were also fans of the tv show.
Depp plays Barnabas Collins, the son of a wealthy family that emigrates from England to the east coast of America in the 1770s. They establish the largest fishing fleet the east coast has ever seen, and found the coastal town of Collinsport. They built the sprawling family home of Collinwood. Barnabas is a rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy, until he spurns the advances of the maid Angelique (Eva Green). Scorned, she uses her witch-like powers to curse the family and destroy them. She even turns Barnabas into a vampire, and then has him buried alive.
Two hundred years later a construction crew accidentally uncovers his coffin and releases him. Barnabas returns to the ancestral home, and gets caught up in the dynamics of his dysfunctional descendants. The Collins family is almost broke, the imposing mansion is in disrepair, and the once flourishing fishing business is a shadow of its former self. And he once again has to confront Angelique, “a whore of Beelzebub and succubus from Satan,” who now runs the rival cannery in town.
The superb cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer who has fun as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the steely matriarch of the family that has now fallen into decline. Burton regular Helena Bonham Carter plays Dr Hoffman, the neurotic, alcoholic psychiatrist who is treating Stoddard’s deeply troubled nephew Danny (Gulliver McGrath). Jonny Lee Miller, Chloe Moretz, Jackie Earle Haley, and Australian actress Bella Heathcote (from Neighbours, etc) round out the cast. And fans of the original series should keep an eye out for the original Barnabas (the late Jonathan Frid) who has a brief cameo. Burton regular Christopher Lee (who played Dracula in a series of Hammer horror films) also has a cameo, as does Alice Cooper.
Depp has played this sort of fish out of water character, adrift in a strange world and environment and trying to fit in, several times before (Edward Scissorhands, etc) and his role here seems like a combination of many of his familiar oddball characters. Nonetheless he has fun with the eccentric character, capturing his seductive decadence and naivety. He immerses himself into the ghoulish role with pasty make-up, untidy black hair, and long pointy talons. He also delivers his archaic 18th century-sounding dialogue with style.
There are some wonderful sight gags scattered throughout the film, and Burton’s dark sense of humour and macabre wit permeates the material. Burton deliberately steeps the film in 70s kitsch and a soundtrack of 70’s rock classics, which will strike a chord with many in the audience. The CGI generated special effects are also good, but are kept to a minimum here. The production design from long time collaborator Rick Heinrichs is stunning, and his creation for the once grand Collinwood is impressive. And Danny Elfman’s score is typically bombastic.
Dark Shadows is certainly a bit of fun, but with its uneven combination of humour, camp horror, and Gothic melodrama, it is far from the best collaboration between Burton and Depp.
***

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May
13
2012

THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH

by Roy

Reviewed by GREG KING

Director: Pawel Pawlikowski

Stars: Ethan Hawke, Kristin Scott Thoams, Joanna Kulig, Samir Guesmi, Delphine Chuillot, Julie PapillonMamadou Minte.

With its air of menace and atmosphere of slowly creeping dread, Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski’s enigmatic drama is reminiscent of the early films of compatriot Roman Polanski, in particular Repulsion and The Tenant.
Ethan Hawke plays Tom Ricks, a disgraced American writer, who comes to France to visit his estranged wife Nathalie (Delphine Chuillot) and young daughter Chloe (Julie Papillon). But he is slowly drawn into a dangerous world when he rents a room from the thuggish Sezer (Samir Guesmi) in a shady hotel outside Paris. Desperate for money, Tom reluctantly agrees to act as a night watchman, guarding a mysterious locked room. Visitors ask for a mysterious Mr Monde, and Tom grows increasingly curious about the sounds emerging from behind the locked door.
He meets a friendly and sympathetic young Polish barmaid Ania (Joanna Kulig) who works at the hotel. And he is drawn into an affair with the ethereal and mysterious widow Margit (Kristin Scott Thomas), the eponymous woman from the fifth arrondissement, who may be involved in a series of murders. Their passionate relationship triggers a string of inexplicable events that raise questions about Tom’s sanity, and place his family in danger. Tom also spies on Chloe in public parks and at her school.
Slowly, Pawlikowski teases out background details about Tom, that go some way towards explaining his paranoia and bursts of anger. Was he in jail or a mental hospital? Hawke delivers a finely balanced, edgy and understated performance as Tom, and he also speaks passable French. Thomas is good as usual, although her enigmatic role doesn’t allow her much to do.
But the film, which has been adapted from the novel by American author Douglas Kennedy (The Big Picture, etc), delves into ideas of memory, grief, mental illness and supernatural themes. This is Pawlikowski’s first film since 2004’s My Summer Of Love. The Woman In The Fifth is suffused with many of the stylistic and surrealistic touches, which have shaped his work since the 80s. However, he doesn’t make it easy for audiences to penetrate his haunting and deliberately opaque narrative, which doesn’t manage to  coherently tie all its loose ends together. Its relatively brief running time is punctuated with some deliberate red herrings that do little to alleviate the enigmatic air of mystery that shrouds proceedings. His approach is allusive and ambiguous. He doesn’t spell everything out, making for an at times frustrating experience.
The film is certainly visually interesting, as Pawlikowski and his long-time cinematographer Ryszard Lenczewski capture the seediness of Paris, creating an unsettling, sinister and moody atmosphere far removed from the postcard like picture presented by most filmmakers.
The Woman In The Fifth is a head scratcher of a mystery that raises more questions than it answers, and many will be frustrated by the clear lack of resolution. Ultimately, the film will be of limited appeal outside of the art house circuit.
*1/2

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May
09
2012

TRISHNA

by Roy

Reviewed by GREG KING

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Stars: Freida Pinto, Riz Ahmed, Roshan Seth.
As a filmmaker, Michael Winterbottom is certainly prolific and eclectic, and he rarely repeats himself. His films include the  sexually provocative and confronting 9 Songs, the clever Tristram Shandy A Cock And Bull Story, the beguiling sci-fi  thriller Code 46, The Trip, 24 Hour Party People and the brutal noir-like thriller The Killer Inside Me. However, his films are  often interesting, but offer something of a mixed bag in terms of consistency.
With his latest film Trishna, Winterbottom has reworked Thomas Hardy’s Tess of The D’Urbervilles, and transplanted the classic tale of love and lust and tragedy from its rustic Victorian England setting to the teeming subcontinent today. Winterbottom turns an outsider’s eye on India and its culture, traditions, gender politics and outdated attitudes, especially its   caste system, which plays a big part in the tragedy. The India that Winterbottom shows us is a marked contrast to that on display in the recent The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. This is Winterbottom’s third adaptation of a Hardy novel, following Jude and The Claim, which reworked The Mayor Of Casterbridge in a western setting. He remains reasonably faithful to Hardy’s story of one woman whose life is destroyed by a combination of   love, class and circumstances.
Transplanting Hardy’s classic tale to India may have seemed an inspired touch, as its themes of class, love, betrayal and lust are universal and timeless. Winterbottom draws a parallel between   Tess’s plight in the novel and the double standard concerning            the behaviour of men and women in modern day India.
The film stars Freida Pinto (from Slumdog Millionaire, etc) as the eponymous tragic heroine, the beautiful eldest daughter of a          poor rickshaw driver from a small village in Rajasthan. It follows     her torrid relationship with Jay (Riz Ahmed, from Four Lions,          The Road To Guantanamo, etc), the spoiled, well-educated, rich        but cruel son of a hotel magnate. He first sees her dancing for    tourists in a luxury hotel and is instantly attracted to her. After         an accident destroys her father’s Jeep, Trishna goes to work for      Jay. An aspiring film producer, he uses his position of power to seduce her and a torrid sexual relationship develops.
Jay goes to Mumbai, where he hopes to pursue his film career. However, after she makes an intimate confession, their              relationship hits a rough patch. Jay becomes increasingly           distant and cruel, and the film ventures into some darker            territory. Frustrated and ultimately hurt by his actions Trishna           is forced into a desperate situation.
In one of the more mature roles of her career to date Pinto           brings a hint of vulnerability to her performance. Unfortunately,    her performance is a little too bland and wooden to make us              really care about her character. Ahmed brings some charm to           his performance, but his character is actually a composite of             both the smug Angel Clare and the suave, rich Alex d’Urberville          from the novel, and is ultimately too unsympathetic.
As is often the case in Winterbottom’s films, much of the               dialogue is improvised and occasionally seems a little clunky. Winterbottom uses India’s stunning locations to good effect, and regular cinematographer Marcel Zyskind’s hand held                   camerawork is vivid and rich. The sweeping and evocative score  from Amit Trevedi and Shigeru Umebayashi adds to the film, and even brings a hint of Bollywood to the material.
Ultimately though Winterbottom’s direction is a little too heavy handed, and there is a coldness to the film. There is something vaguely disappointing about Trishna that will keep audiences at a distance from its emotional core.
**1/2

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May
08
2012

DELICACY

by Roy

Reviewed by GREG KING

Directors: David and Stephane Foenkinos

Stars: Audrey Tatou, Francois Damiens, Bruno Todeschini, Pio Marmai.

Audrey Tatou has a wonderfully gamin-like quality and coquettish presence that has charmed audiences in films like the delightful Amelie and Priceless. But there is something a little darker about her latest film, Delicacy, a slight, bittersweet and offbeat tale about an odd couple romance.
The film is based on the 2009 novel La Delicatesse, written by director David Foenkinos, who has adapted the book for the screen with his brother and co-director Stephane, a former casting director. The book was a huge best seller in France, but it seems rather slight and inconsequential, and it is hard to figure out its appeal.
Tatou plays Nathalie, who is happily married to the hunky Francois (Pio Marmai). But when a tragic accident leaves her a widow, her life is changed. Nathalie immerses herself in her work to hide her pain and loneliness. She also fends off the advances of her creepy boss Charles (Bruno Todeschini). But one day she impulsively kisses her Scandinavian coworker Markus (Francois Damiens, from Heartbreakers, etc). He becomes besotted with her, but he believes that he is unworthy of her.
Nonetheless an unlikely romance blossoms between this mismatched pair. Nathalie slowly emerges from her self-imposed emotional exile. There is some awkward comedy in the scene when Nathalie first introduces Markus to her family, who are unimpressed with the older, balding and socially awkward Swede.
This odd couple romance unfolds in a leisurely and unhurried fashion and it rings with a touch of honesty. Delicacy is the first feature film for the Foenkinos brothers, who direct the material with a light and whimsical touch.
Tatou’s performance is full of a wonderful combination of vulnerability, hurt, and passion, and she effectively conveys the sadness and hurt that her character is suffering from. She has a superb affinity for this sort of material, although she seems to be typecast. Damiens is awkwardly endearing and brings a self-deprecating quality to his performance. Tatou and Damiens develop a prickly chemistry that catches the audience off guard.
The film is also buoyed by the jaunty soundtrack from Emilie Simon. Delicacy is a slight but largely uninspired, inconsequential and typically Gallic romantic comedy about love lost and found, grief, and moving on that will find an appreciative audience.
**

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