Romantics Anonymous

Jean-Pierre Améris’s featherlight provincial comedy is a triumph of no-frills storytelling and sweet characterisations. Benoît Poelvoorde is spot-on as fraught and frigid Jean-René, proprietor of a chocolate factory hitting tough times. He hires Isabelle Carré’s mousy Angélique, a budding chocolatier tasked with pushing their product to new outlets. But she, too, is lacking in the love department. The film’s gentle plea for a return to old-fashioned romantic ideals chimes well with the its old-school style, which offers nods to such classics as Ernst Lubitsch’s ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ and the entire Hepburn-Tracy cycle. There’s even a Jacques Demy moment when Angélique bursts into song. It’ll be too light and frothy for some tastes, but it’s bound to leave you with a warm glow.