Filles uniques

"Filles uniques" is a french movie that tell us the meeting of two women, a judge and a shoes shoplifter and their unlikely friendship. With this simple start, Pierre Jolivet describe with high accuracy some of the problems of these women like for example the relations between Carole and her husband (wonderful Vincent Lindon). The movie is also a comedy and this is a fine one with funny situations and dialogs thanks notably to the talent of the two main actresses, Sylvie Testud and Sandrine Kibelain who are both wonderful, as usual i could say. The first part of the movie is excellent : funny and clever. The sequence in Annecy is a little less interesting but still okay. Despite this, i highly recommend to see "Filles uniques" and all the movies of Pierre Jolivet which has never disappointed me.

... and I'm glad I did, for this is a very enjoyable comedy about a conservative judge (Kiberlain) who becomes friends with a shoplifter who has just finished a month in prison (Sylvie Testud). Tina moves in with Carole and her husband, and the two immediately start to play crime fighters. There's the pimp who is a thorn in Carole's side; Tina leads a sting operation to nab him.

Mermot, the pest with the fake slot-machine tokens, is the next to fall. He shows up at Carole's apartment, where Tina has taken up more or less permanent residence, stages a dubious coronary and tries to get Carole removed from her judgeship. The battle is joined. If the third act set in lovely Annecy drags somewhat, that is not important as the film is a solid charmer. It's the third outing for husband and wife Lindon and Kiberlain. Sylvie Testud is remarkable as Tina--her sadness and regrets for the life she leads cut through the comedy.

The translation of filles uniques can be tricky for the non-French speaker as it means literally only girls in the sense of only children as in 'she is an only child'. With that out of the way we're looking at a very enjoyable romp albeit formulaic - two people from diametrically opposed worlds who somehow forge an alliance; think 'Outrageous Fortune' and you'll get the idea. Everyone involved is on top of their game and if one questions the waste of Vincent Lindon in little more than a cameo role we still savor the class he brings to the party. Richard Dreyfus lookalike Francois Berleand turns in his usual reliable schtick and a good time is had by all.