Excellent Films

**** Heartbreaker (2010). Original title: L'arnacoeur. Dir. Pascal Chaumeil. Romain Duris and Vanessa Paradis. (10) In this charming and clever comedy, Alex is paid by unhappy parents to break up the best of engagements, but he finally meets his match when he must break his own heart as well.

**** The Valet (2006). Original title: La Doublure. Billionaire Pierre Levasseur thinks he can have his mistress and his wife too, but he fails to calculate the cool cunning of either woman, especially when a valet accidentally gets caught up in their soap opera. This hilarious romantic comedy is a sharp commentary on class issues as well as gender issues. Dir. Francis Veber. Gad Elmaleh, Daniel Auteuil, Alice Taglioni, Richard Berry, Kristin Scott Thomas, Philippe Magnan, Patrick Mille. (09)

**** Ridicule (1996). Solid, satisfying film satirizing the French aristocracy. Charles Berling, Jean Rocherfort, Fanny Ardent (07)

Quite Good Films

***½ The Price to Pay (2007) Original title: Le prix a payer. Humorous romantic comedy about the travails of cohabitation. Whether from the point of view of businessman Jean-Pierre, his chauffeur-confidante or their partners, mainting a happy relationship is a nearly full-time job all by itself. Smart comic touches push this above most romantic comedies. Christian Clavier, Nathalie Baye, Gérard Lanvin, Geraldine Pailhas. Dir. Alexandra Leclère (08)

***½ Could This Be Love? (2007) Original title: Je crois que je l’aime. Funny romantic comedy about a man who finds his true love, but whose obsessive suspicions (he hires a detective to follow her) cause him endless problems. Vincent London, Sandrine Bonnaire, Francois Berléand. Dir. Pierre Jolivet (07)

*** ½  8° Arr. Avenue Montaigne (2007). This sweet romantic comedy details the experiences of Jessica’s waitressing experiences at a famous café that caters to the theatre district. Jessica finds herself at the nexus of a troubled pianist, a frustrated actress, and an elderly art collector, maneuvering her among them as delicately and humanely as possible. Cécile de France, Valérie Lemercier, Syndey Pollack, Albert Dupontel, Claude Brasseur. Dir. Danièle Thompson.  (07)

***½  Cote d’Azur (2005) Original title: Crustaces & Coquillages. Love goes haywire in this funny French farce. Parents take their teens to the seaside for a vacation that gets more and more complicated as lovers pop out of the bushes and try rash plots to fulfill their desires. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Gilbert Melki. Dir. Olivier Ducastel. (07)

*** ½  Red Lights (2004). Original title: Feux Rouges. A calamitous road trip forces the Durrants to reevaluate their failing marriage. Based on a Maigret novel, the film is an exercise in style and tension as Kahn encourages us to shift our loyalties. Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Carole Bouquet. Dir. Cédric Kahn (07)

***½ The Color of Lies (1999). Original title: Au coeur du mensonge. Effective, atmospheric thriller about a troubled art teacher. When René suspects that his wife might be having an affair with a charismatic neighbor, his world starts to close in on him. Jacques Gamblin, Sandrine Bonnaire, Antoine de Caunes. Dir. Claude Cabrol.

*** ½  The Closet (2000) Original title: Le placard. Sweet romp about a dull accountant who finds out he’s going to lose his job. Despondent, a neighbor advises him to circulate a gay photo about himself as a ploy to change his image. Daniel Auteuil is charming as the accountant. Gérard Depardieu plays a rival office worker. Dir. Francis Veber (08)

*** ½ A Heart in Winter (1992) Original title: Un coeur en hiver. Violinmaker Stephane sets his own course for destruction in this absorbing drama about the fleeting nature of love. Dir. Claude Sautet. Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Beart, Andre Dussolier. (10)

Good Films

*** Times Have Been Better (2007) Original title: Le ciel sur la tête. When successful son Jérémy tells his parents that he’s gay, family relationships are stressed to comic heights. The supporting cast keeps the tone light, and the characters easily draw us into their escalating predicaments. Arnaud Binard, Charlotte de Turckheim, Bernard Le Coq. Dir. Régis Musset.

*** After You (2005) Original title: Aprez vous Outlandish but sweet romantic comedy. Headwaiter Antoine saves Louis’s life, gives him a place to say, and lands him a job as a sommelier, but when he tries to get Louise back together with an ex-girlfriend, he finds it much harder to be altruistic. Nice dynamic between the two male leads. Daniel Auteuil, José García, Sandrine Kiberlain. Dir. Pierre Salvador.(07)

*** The Housekeeper (2002) Une femme du ménage. In this sweet romantic comedy, Jacques takes on a housekeeper hoping to straighten out his life, but with Laura he gets more than either of them bargained for. The appropriate ending is especially satisfying. Jean’Pierre Bacri, Emilie Dequenne. Dir. Claude Berri. (07)