Complete A-Z list


Heartbreaker

6/10

Stars: Vanessa Paradis, Romain Duris, Julie Ferrier, François Damiens, Andrew Lincoln, Héléna Noguerra, Geoffrey Bateman, Natasha Cashman, Amandine Dewasmes

Director: Pascal Chaumeil

A flimsy French soufflé of some appeal, centring on Alex (Duris), who makes up in designer-stubble charm for what he lacks in stature. We first meet him in North Africa, where, as the 'doctor' to desert-dwelling children, he takes tourist Florence (a briefly impressive Dewasmes) to see the dunes, where he charms her with a desert kiss.

But, like the rest of Alex's life, it's all a fake. Our anti-hero, with his two confederates (Ferrier, Damiens), is a professional relationship-wrecker, paid by someone to split couples up when the woman is 'unhappy without knowing it.'

His next target, though, looks tough. Whip-smart heiress Juliette (Paradis) is a professional wine connoisseur about to marry an equally wealthy Englishman (Lincoln) and seemingly very much in love. The duplicitous trio stages a number of scenes to make her accept Alex as a bodyguard, while he swots up on the stuff she likes, such as George Michael songs and the film Dirty Dancing.

Meanwhile, Alex is under pressure to justify his fee of 50,000 euros from the girl's father as he is heavily in debt to gangsters. Of course, the inevitable happens and the hunter falls for his prey.

Duris seems too slight to ever be a bodyguard, but Paradis is perfect as Juliette, and the evening they spend together before her wedding has a winning charm that any Hollywood remake will find it hard to duplicate. Apart from a few swear words and sexual references, it's old-fashioned romcom fun that doesn't quite have the snap and crackle of the best. But, of course, there's a feelgood, if clichéd ending.

David Quinlan

France 2010. UK Distributor: Revolver. Duboicolor.
105 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 27 Jun 2010