The premise for this light-minded comedy is not new: perky, wealthy, aristocratic 27-year-old Lucie (Florence Pernel, who sometimes resembles a young Isabelle Huppert) had an airplane accident in 1919 and got buried under snow - only to be defrosted back to life 84 years later (remember "Hibernatus" with Louis de Funès and "Iceman" with John Lone?). As her dysfunctional family tries to convince her she's still living in 1919 (in a way similar to "Goodbye Lenin"), she manages to discover the truth with the help of a young journalist (blank, unimpressive Pierre Cassignard). The usual shenanigans follow in this cliché-ridden plot, with the loosely directed cast plunging into overacting, most of all irritatingly over-the-top Urbain Cancelier. The script is underdeveloped and full of loose ends, and suspension of disbelief is sine qua non here.
On a positive note, the film co-stars the magnificent 85-year-old actress TSILLA CHELTON of "Tatie Danielle" fame, who wipes everybody else off the screen and brings excitement in her every scene - she can be mean, coquette, subtle, funny, scheming, disgraceful, fragile - she can do anything! She's the reason alone (and enough) to recommend this film on a sleepless night.
Mme Chelton, vous êtes superbe! Chapeau!
