Christophe Honoré doffs his cap to Jacques Demy in this laudably ambitious musical.
The 13 catchy tunes work wonderfully, as Louis Garrel tries to recover from the death of lover Ludivine Sagnier. However, his infatuation with gay student Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet strikes a false note that is all the more discordant considering the subtlety with which Honoré handles the subplot involving Sagnier’s lonely sister, Chiara Mastroianni (whose presence reinforces links with Demy’s Les Parapluies De Cherbourg, which starred her mother, Catherine Deneuve). Sensitively using song to express grief, passion and ennui, this is a cineaste’s delight.