An unusual comedy, "Romaine par moins 30" can boast two strong points: Sandrine Kiberlain and French Canada in the heart of winter. But this is far from enough to make it a memorable work.
The plot revolves around a tall, awkward, thirty-some girl named Romaine (a character first met in a 1997 prequel adequately titled "Romaine", played at the time by director Agnès Obadia), who has no bearings in life other than hating traveling by plane, dreading surprises and disliking cold. Which is precisely the unfortunate cocktail her boyfriend Justin offers her : one day, out of the blue, he takes her - and blindfold into the bargain - (Surprise, Surprise!) to Roissy Airport and has her board a plane bound for Montréal (oh, no, the plane WILL crash!) at Yule-Time (O, I have the nightmare of a white Christmas!) where they are supposed to start a new life in Canada.
A promising starting point that makes the viewer look forward to zillions of laughs. Which unfortunately is not the case. There will be a few smiles at best. For, if the choice of the main actress (tall, giraffe-like, freckle-faced, self-derisive Sandrine Kiberlain) is perfect, if the tone is pleasantly quirky, if there is plenty of local color, the pace is much too slow and the theme (a prolonged teenager who has hitherto been unable to make her own decisions and who is learning to come to terms with herself) is dealt with much too superficially.
Yet the film has its moments and remains watchable throughout. Just don't expect to wheeze with laughter.
The plot revolves around a tall, awkward, thirty-some girl named Romaine (a character first met in a 1997 prequel adequately titled "Romaine", played at the time by director Agnès Obadia), who has no bearings in life other than hating traveling by plane, dreading surprises and disliking cold. Which is precisely the unfortunate cocktail her boyfriend Justin offers her : one day, out of the blue, he takes her - and blindfold into the bargain - (Surprise, Surprise!) to Roissy Airport and has her board a plane bound for Montréal (oh, no, the plane WILL crash!) at Yule-Time (O, I have the nightmare of a white Christmas!) where they are supposed to start a new life in Canada.
A promising starting point that makes the viewer look forward to zillions of laughs. Which unfortunately is not the case. There will be a few smiles at best. For, if the choice of the main actress (tall, giraffe-like, freckle-faced, self-derisive Sandrine Kiberlain) is perfect, if the tone is pleasantly quirky, if there is plenty of local color, the pace is much too slow and the theme (a prolonged teenager who has hitherto been unable to make her own decisions and who is learning to come to terms with herself) is dealt with much too superficially.
Yet the film has its moments and remains watchable throughout. Just don't expect to wheeze with laughter.
