LA PATINOIRE (The Skating Rink) is rather amusing. For starters, not too many movies are made on this subject (particularly in Europe), so the material is guaranteed fresh. The subject matter including ice hockey is very popular in most industrialized countries and is therefore ripe for a good screenplay. This film delivers it, and features hilarious performances by its stars. These include Tom Novembre as the director of the movie being filmed at the skating rink, and Marie-France Pisier in top-form as the film's egomaniac producer. Also skating through the ice are Jean-Pierre Cassel, a nostalgic ex-Olympic skating champ who owns the rink, and the film within this film's leading man and girl (paring off a conceited American star and a temperamental French skater). The comedy is heightened by the arrival of the Lithuanian National Hockey Team and their antics. In short, a fresh and funny French comedy which appeals to all audiences.