Le Goût des autres

Castella (Bacri) is an industrialist, married, temporarily inconvenienced by the presence of a bodyguard while a sensitive business deal is ironed out. In his own world, he's king. A dutiful (groundbreaking) trip to the theatre is a revelation. It's not the play which moves him, but the lead actress, Clara (Alvaro). Neither young nor especially glamorous - she's stuck in subsidised theatre - Clara touches him so deeply, she opens up horizons he's never dreamed of: a new world of art, literature, philosophy and beauty, a world in which Castella simply doesn't fit. A critical and popular hit in France, Le Goût des autres (literally, 'Other People's Taste') is a culture clash comedy with the emphasis on 'culture'. Agnès Jaoui (making her directorial debut with a script co-written with longtime partner Bacri) aims for the droll slow burn, subtle ironies and wry observation. There's a lovely, funny-sad sequence in which the industrialist shaves off his moustache to impress his muse - only it takes ages before anyone notices. The film works as a one-sided love story, yet finds time to flesh out half a dozen peripheral characters, each in his or her own way as lovelorn and alone as the industrialist.