Madame Corthis und der Tanz ins Glück

They have been always doing that for years:the estranged mother,father, prodigal son or daughter , who comes back ,often incognito ,to her family unit.In Mitchell Leisen's "the mating season"(1951),Thelma Ritter whose son married a socialite passed herself off as a servant.And it was riotuously funny.

Well,Sol(ange) does not come from a modest milieu :she's a diva ,an Argentinean star in the latin part of the world and to meet again her grandson she becomes his nanny. A smug cocky absolutely unbearable fado Castafiore ,Hergé's character who at least was funny.If you watch this flick, you're going to have to put with her during 90 loooong minutes :in my book , Chantal Lauby has no contender as worst contemporary French actress: ham, simpering airs, hogging the stage ,you name it....

As for the screenplay ,derivative is too mild a word to depict this spate of clichés :of course Raf's widow mom and her in-law do not get on well first ;of course after a so called moving confession ,it will work it out all right;of course the grandma treats her grandson to forbidden delights (stuffing oneself with whipped cream); of course mom meets a nice man who ,no doubt about it, may become a new dad to Raf (which is almost a tragedy ,considering the (step) mom-in-law he' ll have to bear.)

Besides ,there's a very unpleasant bourgeois side in this comedy utterly devoid of humor (I dare you to laugh once!): the diva is self-centered ,selfish to a fault:when she arrives at her daughter-in-law 's house,she insists she see the employer first ( too bad for the students who certainly need more money than her who is staying in a luxury hotel ,with servants at her beck and call !) ; the concierge ,a modest woman (certainly less unbearable than this Bianca Castafiore) is treated with contempt by the wealthy dancer .

That such hackneyed drivel can still find producers is beyond me.

This is a sweet French movie, unpretentious and entertaining. Funny and emotional at the same time, just like real life itself. It was scripted and acted nicely. Very likeable characters. Lovely theme song and music through out the movie. Scenes colour palette is matched with the mood of the film too. Give it a chance, you are not going to regret it.

A Good French Movie, Worth Your Time. Would Recommend it Highly if You like Love & Family Relationships type of Cinema.