Finally got to see this one.


Okay, so I'm a little behind the times...sue me.

Call me too trusting but I really expected an NTSC region 1 DVD shipped from a seller in the US to have English subtitles. Next time I'll know better.

Despite the DVD's lack of subtitles and my own lack of proficiency in French, I have to say I found myself liking this a lot. The story is simple enough that the language barrier is really not very hard to overcome and the actors all do a very nice job as their respective characters. I guess it's sort of like not understanding written Shakespeare at all but then seeing it performed live and going 'Oh, I get it now!'

The photography is excellent, the leads all appealing (or despicable, depending on their motives), and the music is nicely done, propelling the story along with a lyrical quality I didn't really expect (though I'd be hard pressed to say exactly what I did expect!).

And don't let the naysayers here on the IMDB boards tell you otherwise; Laetitia Casta is a perfectly fine actress. Perhaps she's not quite up to Hepburn (specifically Katherine) or Streep just yet but give her time...she's got a natural warmth and comfort in front of the camera (having quite a bit of time in front of them, after all) and I never once felt like she was just a clothes horse delivering lines and relying on her undeniable beauty to carry her over.

All in all, I liked it. Now hopefully it'll come out on Blu and actually have the damned subtitles!

Foofy

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