James Huth's film which he also wrote with Sonja Shillito celebrates Hollywood cinema. It references classics like Casablanca, Singin In the Rain and West Side Story but plays more like Moonstruck and Notting Hill for its melding of romance and slapstick humor. Even the soundtrack features largely soulful American music. It's glitzy, formulaic and contrived but helped by two charismatic performers has enough charm to make it a crowd pleaser.
The film begins with Sacha Keller (Gad Elmaleh), a musician playing at a jazz bar, and picking up girls for one night stands. He has everything a single man would want until he bumps into Charlotte (Sophie Marceau) and before long these two opposites are in bed and in love. This is the type of film where the girl hails a taxi and get drenched as the car drives by a huge puddle of water or falls down a flight of stairs simply to get up and walk away with minor bruises. The films commitment to slapstick is at times grating but more often charmingly old fashioned. Complications in the relationship occur with the revelation that Charlotte has three children from two failed marriages. But let's face it not every single mother looks like Sophie Marceau and soon Sacha is experiencing the joys of parenthood. The kids are not too cute and obnoxious which is a blessing. The youngest boy throws up and complains "I don't like you." The older girl recruits Sacha to help her with her mathematics homework. That and two ex's one played by the terrific François Berléand in strong ruthless mode. After the trial and tribulations of struggling to make it work you know these two are meant to be together because they each have posters of Casablanca in their bedrooms.
Huth directs with a light touch and the first hour is the best. He wraps it all up nicely, it's better than most of the product coming out of the American studios these days. Elmaleh and Marceau make it work; they have the chemistry to carry off the romance and comedy with aplomb. The soundtrack is a highlight blending the music of Etta James and Stephanie Mills. James belting out A Sunday Kind of Love is glorious.
The film begins with Sacha Keller (Gad Elmaleh), a musician playing at a jazz bar, and picking up girls for one night stands. He has everything a single man would want until he bumps into Charlotte (Sophie Marceau) and before long these two opposites are in bed and in love. This is the type of film where the girl hails a taxi and get drenched as the car drives by a huge puddle of water or falls down a flight of stairs simply to get up and walk away with minor bruises. The films commitment to slapstick is at times grating but more often charmingly old fashioned. Complications in the relationship occur with the revelation that Charlotte has three children from two failed marriages. But let's face it not every single mother looks like Sophie Marceau and soon Sacha is experiencing the joys of parenthood. The kids are not too cute and obnoxious which is a blessing. The youngest boy throws up and complains "I don't like you." The older girl recruits Sacha to help her with her mathematics homework. That and two ex's one played by the terrific François Berléand in strong ruthless mode. After the trial and tribulations of struggling to make it work you know these two are meant to be together because they each have posters of Casablanca in their bedrooms.
Huth directs with a light touch and the first hour is the best. He wraps it all up nicely, it's better than most of the product coming out of the American studios these days. Elmaleh and Marceau make it work; they have the chemistry to carry off the romance and comedy with aplomb. The soundtrack is a highlight blending the music of Etta James and Stephanie Mills. James belting out A Sunday Kind of Love is glorious.