At best this type of French cinema is quirky, witty and moving (Amelie, Delicatessen, The Closet..). This one cannot decide whether it is a charming society comedy (bourgeois French versus downtrodden Spanish warmth) or if it is an unexpected love affair. The first hypothesis is weakened by the French characters other than the hero being stereotypes; the second fails because the lovers don't convince. He is not quite charming or attractive enough for us to forgive his insouciance towards his family and she is not lost enough to settle for him.

The details are still good, the interiors are delightfully un-Oxford and if you want a gentle French escape you could do worse than see it anyway.