Baden Baden

A coming-of-age comedy about a ditzy French twentysomething looking for meaning in her life sounds like nothing new – but first time director Rachel Lang’s ‘Baden Baden’ is utterly distinctive. Ana (Salomé Richard) is a chaotically disorganised driver on a movie shoot who ‘borrows’ one of the swanky hire cars and returns to her home town of Strasbourg where she flits between old flames and decides to renovate her grandma’s bathroom – despite knowing nothing about plumbing or tiling. 

The brilliant editing always leaving us guessing where this woman or the next shot will take us. The overall effect is beguiling yet slightly bonkers. It will drive some viewers up the wall, but fans will feel the rush of discovering a unique new director and, in Richard,a gawky yet captivating screen presence.