Film Reviews

I Do (Prete-Moi Ta Main)

• Rating:
• Director: Eric Lartigau.
• Starring: Alain Chabat, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bernadette Lafont, Veronique Barrault.
• Details: France / 85 mins (PG).

There are a few things that the French do better than most: romance, wine and farcical comedies - and I Do: How To Get Married And Stay Single (what a great title) has them all. Luis Chosta (Chabat) is a handsome 43-year-old perfume designer who likes to play the field, so much so that his overbearing and meddling family of sisters (who call themselves G7, such is their power over him) decide that Luis should settle down and get married. Luis, preferring singledom but afraid to stand up to his family, employs Emma (Gainsbourg), who needs money to adopt a Brazilian boy, to be his 'wife'. The plan: Emma will dump him at the altar and Luis's family will feel so sorry for him, they'll never mention marriage again. Simple? In theory. A pleasant comedy that grabs you from the get-go (having an Amelie-esque intro didn't hurt), everything about I Do delivers on what it sets out to be; the sexual chemistry between the leads is believable, the tone is consistent and the gags, even though they spend more time at snigger-fest than in thigh-slapping country, get the laughs they aim for. It might be a little obvious and turns out the way you'd expect it to, but there are enough twists and turns on the journey to keep you entertained. If you don't fancy reading the subtitles, this comedy is bound to be remade Hollywood style in the near future.

Review by Gavin Burke