Directors: David & Stephane Foenkinos
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Francois Damiens, Bruno Todeschini, Josephine de Meaux, Melanie Bernier
Running Time: 104 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Extras: Bloopers Reel, Deleted Scenes, Trailer
Though Audrey Tautou is a superstar in France, her Hollywood fling has been less successful. DELICACY takes her back to her roots as the vulnerable, emotional beauty at the centre of a French love story. DELICACY, based on co-director David Foenkinos’ book of the same name, is a sweet little tale based around tragedy and the human reaction. Nathalie (Tautou) and Francois (Pio Marmai) meet in a coffee shop, and are soon happily married; tragedy befalls their story however, as Francois is killed, and Nathalie struggles to adapt to life without him, until Markus appears and changes everything.
Paris is a beautiful setting for any story, particularly a romantic comedy. It’s picturesque streets and the Eiffel tower are priceless tools for directors looking to generate emotion. The Foenkinos – both making their directorial debut – have done a splendid job using the setting, and their near-perfect script gives the film a beautiful core from which to build. The characters are splendidly stereotyped: Nathalie, lots of sad eyes and sobbing; Sophie (de Meaux), the friend who just wants Nathalie to be happy; Markus, the sensitive shoulder who wants to be more, and Charles (Todeschini) Nathalie’s boss who also happens to be in love with her. Familiarity isn’t a concern in this setting with each of the characters adding a different dynamic, an ingredient missing from so many romantic comedies. Backing up the characters are some very good performances; Francois Damiens as Markus, a character we never lose faith in, steals the show. Tautou is comfortable and unspectacular, whilst Bruno Todeschini is a suitably smug and arrogant pest.
DELICACY’S issues are few and far between: it’s predictability will infuriate some, it isn’t tremendously funny and it could have been 15 minutes shorter. That said, this film is far more tolerable than romantic comedies that try to ‘add something new to the genre’; it is a story of love, loss and the human reaction, and is recommended for those with a soft-side.
Extras: Deleted scenes only add more padding, the blooper reel is horribly unfunny – I’m guessing you had to be there – and the trailer, well it’s a trailer.
DELICACY is available on DVD and Blu-ray now… but don’t buy it enter our competition here before midnight 6th August to be in with a chance of winning a copy on DVD.
