Valerie Danzelli

The multi-talented Valerie Danzelli, who wrote, directed and starred in this film, is a wonder to behold. In Queen of Hearts (La reine des pommes/Queen of Apples?), she's an awkward neurotic (for me, a loveable one) who doesn't have the foggiest notion how to have a relationship with her ideal man. She's not really sure what she's doing on Planet Earth. This "little" film (only 80 minutes) deserved a better fate. It's often very funny, but its humor is very subtle -- you'll miss it if you blink too quickly. It has many quirky moments with the adorable Danzelli spending most of her time trying to figure out why four different men don't appeal to her (they're all played by the same actor). In her spare time, she tries to understand the vagaries of life, and doesn't succeed. I really liked this minimalist, tidy film, but without Danzelli it just wouldn't "click".