Over the past few years it has become very clear that if you are looking for an extremely funny film than you are best to turn to the French for your dose of the laughter. Well, they keep that proud tradition going with new romantic comedy, Beautiful Lies, a film that showcases just how outrageous a French farce can be… while its audience laps up every minute of it.
The farce beings with hairdresser, Emilie Dandrieux (Audrey Tautou – Coco Before Chanel, Priceless) who sets a busy pace running her successful saloon. She is so busy that when her handyman, Jean (Sami Bouajila – Omar Killed Me, Outside The Law) writes her a secret love letter she decides to simply forward it to her depressed and loveless mother, Maddy (Nathalie Baye – A’labri, Bye Bye) in the hope that it will cheer her up. As the lies fly back and forth Maddy is seen led to believe that it is Jean that is in love with her while the hapless Jean has to go along with the ruse so he does not disappoint his true love, Emilie.
Director, Pierre Salvadori (Wild Target, Priceless) was handed an absolute gem when he was handed the script to Beautiful Lies. While the premise of the film may seem questionable it becomes a genuine romantic comedy, one that unlike so many floating around today will actually make you laugh from time to time. The screenwriters have done such a fine job with the script that despite the absurd events of the story you still find yourself bonding with the characters, and despite the fact that you feel sorry for Jean and Maddy because of the situation that Emilie has put them in you also feel for Emilie whom you can tell only told the ‘beautiful lies’ in a bid to try and cheer her mother up. While you’ll laugh at the black humour you also find yourself tense as you really do hope that everything works out well for all the characters at hand.
Working with such a brilliant script it is hardly surprising that the actors flourish in their role. Audrey Tautou is a standout and a lot of Hollywood starlets could learn a lot from her and how one should perform when in a romantic comedy. Nobody plays an absurd character like Tautou and she is well supported by Nathalie Baye whom portrays the even more absurd mother to an absolute T. Rounding up the cast is a brilliant performance by Sami Bouajila who absolutely shines as a leading man in a romantic comedy. So good is his performance that you can’t help wonder whether or not his English is good enough to warrant Hollywood to come knocking on his door.
Once again the French have managed to create the perfect comedy. This is how a romantic comedy should be portrayed… with an exceptional cast, wonderful characters and a script that doesn’t forget that the most important part to a comedy is the fact that the audience should be laughing. The comedy may be dark at times, but the film is a standout.
DIRECTOR: Pierre Salvadori
STARS: Audrey Tautou, Nathalie Baye, Sami Bouajila
CLASSIFICATION: M
RUNTIME: 105mins
BUZZ RATING: 