Un + Une

Wonderful movie set for the most part in India. Oscar winner Jean Dujardin plays a movie composer visiting India to work on a new wave film. There he meets the wife of the French ambassador played by Elsa Zylberstein.

Dujardin is at the top of his game, on par with the Cary Grant of the An Affair to Remember, and so is Elsa, who plays her part with incredible honesty and endearing vulnerability. The writing is brillant, all the way through, as expected from master director and writer Claude Lelouch. Some of the dialogue scenes between Dujardin and Zylberstein are some of the better written, acted and most beautiful ever created.

The portrayal of India is honest, extensive and, most importantly, respectful. It's a delightful adventure for anyone who likes smart romantic comedies, much like An Affair to Remember (1957).

Beautiful French movie. Beautiful images of India.

Apart from the amazing setting and acting, this is far and foremost a tale about our western shallowness and approach to life in comparison to hinduist India where people don't have as much comfort but nonetheless are happier beings, without arrogance and irrelevant questioniongs that drown us in our day to day western lives. This movie was beautiful for its wit and depth that many failed to appreciate. Lelouche is not only a cinematographic master but also a poet.

The slogan for Lelouch's "A Man and a Woman" was "see it with someone you love." I didn't have a love when it was released in 1966, and failed to appreciate the film. Since then, I've grown to admire his opus as that of France's greatest living filmmaker.

You still have to b e a romantic to appreciate a film like this or his "Bolero," "And Now My Love" or "And Now, Ladies and Gentlemen."

We have no film of Jesus, Mohammed or Buddha performing their miracles. "Un. + Une" gives us a glimpse of Amma, a modern saint, displaying her love.

It's also the best outside film about India. See it with someone you love.

Stay with it, it's worth it! Luscious photography, intriguing plot, romantic and some of the best acting I've seen. I gained a deeper understanding of India and its sad, deep, beauty. And, wow, excellent direction by Claude Lelouch.