La délicatesse

This film achieves something that a heck of a lot of films, particularly romantic comedies, get wrong.

It captures that feeling of two people messily entering into a relationship. The initial joys and awkwardness. The moments of fright when it all seems overwhelming. The calm reflective times and the stormy moments of doubt.

After a shaky start, the film blossoms into a refreshingly cliché free study of a beautiful woman impulsively starting a relationship with a shy, ungainly, but good natured man. It's his goodness that comes through. He wins out over the slick womanisers through sheer innocent charm and a desire to do good.

A heart warming film about the need to love fearlessly and without following the crowd and of taking happiness where it's found.

Attempting to restate her claim as the queen of French rom-coms, Audrey Tautou returns in yet another soufflé-light offering playing a young widow who falls in love with a balding Swedish man who is older, less attractive and less successful than her. Better still, their unlikely love story takes place against the age-old taboo of office romances- but even before the obligatory obstacles from both their personal and professional lives roll along, you already guess that the pair of opposites will eventually end up together.

Indeed, much as the movie tries to differentiate itself by injecting tragedy into the mix, there's little mistaking that first-time directors David and Stéphane Foenkinos- the former of whom also wrote the novel on which the movie is based- never did intend to veer away from the requisite happily-ever-after ending of the typical rom-com. All that remains to be seen is whether or not the journey to that destination is worth the ride- and the answer in this case is only a slight yes.

Of the film's three acts- the first beginning with Nathalie (Tautou) and Francois' (Pio Marmai) whirlwind romance and ending with the latter's unexpected death; the second detailing the tentative courtship between Nathalie and said Swedish colleague Markus (Francois Damiens); and the last demonstrating their willingness to preserve their relationship despite the objections of friends and colleagues- only the middle one proves engaging with its 'Amelie-like' whimsical mood.

Sparked off by Nathalie's decision to kiss Markus on a whim, this utterly charming middle section wittily observes the unintended consequences from that very impulse. In a clever switch of archetypes, it is Markus who turns out totally smitten by Nathalie, so much so that he deliberately runs away when he senses he may be falling too deeply in love with her. That scene set on a bridge against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower is one of the funniest in the movie- ditto for another in which Nathalie takes the initiative to ask him out for a play over office messaging just as his Google search turns out the exact same date idea.

In comparison to the playful simplicity of the second act, Foenkinos' tries to cram too much into the first, trying to create a sympathetic character in Nathalie. Unfortunately, the tragic turn of events that leads Nathalie to throw herself into work for the next three years before she meets Markus fails to resonate, and seems wholly unnecessary to the central romance between the two co-workers. The third act fares slightly better, but a melodramatic turn sparked off by a heated exchange between Nathalie and her boss Charlie (Bruno Todeschini) who also fancies her is amateurish and changes the tone of the film too jarringly.

Thankfully, the movie does finish on a winning note with a beautiful fantasy sequence shot in one single take- though that alone does not distract from the fact that the filmmakers lack the dexterity at rolling romance, comedy and drama into one. The directors' inexperience also shows in the way they have both Nathalie and Markus narrate their own thoughts at random points in the movie, never using the voiceovers as an effective technique to get to know the characters better or to put a spin on the story (a la 'She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not').

Tautou is once again typecast as the gamine with the pixie-ish appeal, and though she is as lovely as she was in 'Amelie', it's clear this role was never much of a stretch for the actress to begin with. The scene- stealer here however is her co-star Damiens, an unlikely choice for a rom-com, but one perfectly suited for the role here with his wide goofy smile and disarming genuineness. You'll easily root for Damiens, and consequently his romance with Tautou to succeed in the movie.

Despite its name, this French rom-com is no delicacy, though it has its fair share of winning moments to make it more than an entertaining trifle. Don't expect it too to be a smart satire on office romances- indeed, it is too genial and whimsical to offer much on the subject. The best it does is fill out the gap for the rom-com genre until the next one rolls along, when almost certainly it will be forgotten.

• www.moviexclusive.com

"Delicacy" works because Audrey Tautou is so amazing to watch. From the moment the film zoomed in on her pitch perfect classical pretty look, the film set its tone. However the part of the film that made it spectacularly brilliant is the final quadrant. Just when you feel the film moves toward melodrama, it turns over in full circle and finally laughter filled the cinema screening. The awkward moments became funny spots and the effortless unlikely romantic companion in Swedish François Damiens is as funny as Hong Kong's iconic Lam Suet. "Delicacy" is film that starts off sweetly, then bitterly and in the end unlikely and delightfully.

Audrey Tautou is simply stunning to watch. Not unlike Audrey Hepburn, they can do nothing and just frankly filled with close up shots and you will still be captivated. Her ability to own the screen is simply a pleasure to watch. Whether she is sad, happy, shocked or even random, Audrey can seamlessly connects with the audience at its very core. Equal to the task is the scene stealing Swedish co-worker François Damiens. Their romantic chemistry does not crash any computer screen, but there is something about them that makes then a couple to root for. His comedic timing is just absolutely "laugh out loud" moments. In fact, there was a time in the film when I uncontrollably laughed out loud and resulted in several turning heads and looks. However it was all worth it.

All in all, "Delicacy" is really one of the lightest hearted melodramatic yet romantic comedies of the year. It is one of those delightful films that are best served after a long day at work where you can sit back and appreciate the beauty of Paris and Ms Audrey Tautou. Ever since Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris", I have placed the city on top of my list and after "Delicacy", I can only say that love is not just a four letter word. A highly enjoyable bittersweet rom-com…

Neo rates it 8.5/10

• www.thehkneo.com

Delicacy begins with a couple falling in love and marrying. However, shortly after the marriage, he is killed--leaving his widow (Audry Tautou) grieving for quite some time. IMDb says it's three years, though the film makes no mention of this. All you know is that she's withdrawn from those around her and puts all her energy into her job. However, something VERY strange happens. After her creepy boss tries to make the moves on her, she responds by grabbing a co-worker (François Damiens) and kissing him--leaving the poor guy VERY confused! Markus has no idea what to think--mostly because he feels he has no chance with such a beautiful woman! After all, he's balding, a bit clumsy and not at all flashy. What could she see in him? So Markus' instinct is to run--but she'll have none of that--she finds him comfortable and a great person. And, oddly, this unusual relationship starts effecting those around them in unpredicted ways. What's to become of these oddly matched but very nice people? See this film for yourself.

To say this romantic film is offbeat is clearly an understatement. In most Hollywood and French films, you'd never have such a relationship--and that is what I liked about this film. He ain't fancy, but he's decent...and decent is certainly worth having for this lonely lady. Too often, films have pretty folks...very pretty folks. It's nice to see someone who most would consider ordinary--and it's nice to see that that's good enough for the woman. He's sweet, very decent and kind---so what if his hair is thinning?! This sort of casting helped elevate the film in my eyes. Also, the slow pace was nice--a wonderful combination of music, acting and charm. Some might object to this approach--I think it made the film seem real. Overall, it ain't flashy but is full of charm--and would make a perfect date film. Sure, her kissing Markus really made little sense...but let go of this and just enjoy.

By the way, after seeing this film and singing its praises to my daughter, she told me that she tried watching it and hated it! Oh well, you can't please them all!

Expectations can be such a bitch, when pre-conceived notions formed by others become shattered when reality dawns upon them. It can apply to many areas, but in a romantic comedy, it almost certainly applies to how one perceives the other half that a friend had chosen. And I suppose for the girls if their friend's new beau doesn't come tall, dark and handsome, but balding, goofy and awkward, then there will be bewilderment that will take on a life of its own around the gossip mills.

The debut feature of directors David and Stephane Foenkinos, adapting from the former's novel, Delicacy turned out to be not what one expected, with scenes played out in rather individualistic fashion, and ultimately never finding a natural rhythm of pacing. It's a classic case where the sum of all its parts turned out to be rather rote and hardly surpassing the brilliance of ideas injected into individual episodes, making it a rather rough ride where you'd constantly wonder just where the story is heading.

The draw here is of course Audrey Tautou, playing yet another strong female character whose whirlwind romance with Francois (Pio Marmai) comes to a full stop when the inevitable happens, in a scene where I was expecting a vehicle to hit Francois on the screen from right to left. Well that wish got unfulfilled, but Francois does succumb to injuries and Tautou's Nathalie Kerr becomes a widow, devoting herself to her work for the next three years, before discovering opportunities for a fresh love life comes knocking on her door again. And all these serving as the prologue, while being really inconsequential to everything else that came after, and could have sped up the pacing to get to the crux of the story instead.

And that's the new chapter of her life predominantly set in her workplace, where her boss Charles (Bruno Todeschini) tried to hit on her, and her fellow work group mate Markus Lundl (Francois Damiens) becomes comically attracted to her because of her sudden and unexpected, one off advances where she kisses him out of the blue. The rest of the film deals with their romantic dalliances, with some nice touches to dialogues given Markus' deadpan humorous streak, and self-deprecating jokes that gets delivered with a straight face. But it's true, I suppose for those who don't have what it takes on the outside, being a funny man definitely works wonders, and Markus soon has Nathalie eating out of his hand, not that he could handle the attention anyhow.

While the romance doesn't really work out that well, what did work are the little background events that anyone working in an office will encounter from time to time, and these are the most fun, with gossips spreading like wildfire, and how sometimes we get easily offended by others who tend to be quick to pass judgement on who we are from glimpses on the outside. Audrey Tautou is at her pixie best in a role somewhat failed to challenge the actress, with Francois Damiens upstaging her in almost every aspect and scene, thanks to having portray a more interesting character complete with insecurities and quirks that is easily identified with by anyone - you will feel his pain when being compared with the Ideal, Perfect Man, who exists only in minds and not in real life, and being quite the good sport and feeling quite comfortable with himself when his shortcomings are mocked at.

Delicacy turned out to be a rather choppy ride, with a rather erratic pacing and structure that seemed to branch off and take on a life of its own, rather than to be in sync to form a more coherent narrative. Still, it's down to the chemistry of the leads when playing the unlikeliest of couples both in social standing, looks and attitudes, without whom this delicacy would have turned out to be a bland affair.