Jeanne et Le Garcon Formidable

Helmed by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau comes Jeanne et le Garçon formidable, a magical musical set amongst the background of a realistic and gritty Paris.

The film follows the lovely Jeanne, (played captivatingly by Virginie Ledoyen who is so intoxicating one may be forgiven for never noticing another actor on screen so enchanting is her performance.) a young Parisian receptionist who is busy looking for the man of her dreams while sleeping with every one else. After meeting her perfect man, Oliver (Mathieu Demy, son of director Jacques Demy) Jeanne is over come for the first time in her life with unadulterated feelings of love and struggles to find a way to bring Oliver into her life. Jeanne and Oliver's love however is complicated by the fact that Oliver is suffering from AIDS and feels unsure as to how much of himself he can give to her.

Drawing greatly from the work of legendary director Jacques Demy (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), the pioneer of realistic and modern French musical, Jeanne et le Garçon formidable is a beautiful synergy between light-hearted musical numbers and gritty social realism.

Set amongst the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, this film masterfully melds the surreal and jaunty style so often associated with musical movies with deep undercurrents of political and social unrest. Beneath the veneer of numbers about undying love sung amusingly in noodle bars, comes the harsh realization that mortality awaits us all, and singing is no way to stave off the inevitable. By retaining the joyous numbers and the realistic style of the piece Demy's film is an enjoyable and though provoking musical into how we all struggle and deal with our lives.

For those who loved The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Les Chansons d'Amour by Christophe Honoré or Once by John Cairn (2006) comes a must see film that promises to make your heart sing and weep in equal measure.