Delicacy
- Year:2011
- Rating:M
- Director:David Foenkinos, Stephanie Foenkinos
- Cast:Francois Damiens, Audrey Tautou, Bruno Todeschini
- Release Date:May 03, 2012
- Distributor:Transmission Films
- Running time:108 minutes
- Film Worth:$13.00
- FILMINK rates movies out of $20 - the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Struggling to find its tone, this lightweight dramedy almost solely coasts on the charm of Audrey Tautou.
If it wasn't for the luminous Audrey Tautou, this rather confused drama/sometimes farcical comedy would scarcely be worth seeing. Adapted from a bestselling novel and co-directed by its author (David Foenkinos) and his brother (Stephane Foenkinos), the film feels surprisingly unsure, especially given the directors' knowledge of its subject matter. The film swings from scenes devoted to the exploration of grief following the loss of a soul mate, to a ridiculous, yet pivotal, moment depicting inappropriate office behaviour, with an undercurrent of racism throughout. It all takes place in an oddly defined time frame - the settings and costumes seem to move through several different decades, although the film itself is set over a ten-year period.
Delicacy opens with a young Nathalie (Audrey Tautou) marrying Francois (Pio Marmai), the love of her life. They begin an idyllic union, admired by all around them. Shortly afterwards, however, he is killed in a car accident, and she sinks into a period of intense grief and suffering. In the years afterwards, Nathalie learns how to survive, largely by immersing herself in work and shutting out all else. Quite unexpectedly, she begins to notice one of her co-workers, a Swede, Markus (Francois Damiens), and they begin a very tentative relationship. Markus is completely different to her husband and no one, including Nathalie herself at times, thinks that he is a suitable partner. The couple must persevere and show the world that love is possible again after loss, and that people shouldn't be too quick to judge.
Not much happens in this lightweight film, and its conclusion is predictable, although the closing scene is one of the film's highlights. The direction is uninspiring throughout, possibly due to the inexperience of the debut filmmakers, and although Ms. Tautou works hard to inject spirit into the story, it's difficult to become involved with these characters' stories.
