Les Chansons D'Amour

If you go extremely regularly to the movies it can sometimes be a little hit and miss - occasionally a film turns out to be a real dud, and every now and then you stumble across a gem, totally unexpectedly. I was pleasantly surprised by this very typically French film. To say it is quirky would be an understatement - more appropriately it could be termed bizarre. The central character Ismail is having some kind of relationship with two women. The two women are also having some kind of thing with each other. The three regularly share the same bed. One of the girls shares the details of her unususual lifestyle with her family - who are fascinated, but not disapproving. The girl then suddenly dies and Ismail is devastated. The second girl, meanwhile has found a boyfriend of her own, whose brother then develops a crush on Ismail, and they end up in bed together. Ismail then veers away from the boy, but the film ends with the two men wrapped in each others arms on the balcony of Ismail's flat. Oh, and the characters regularly burst into song - as a seemingly natural alternative to normal conversation. I'd rate this 8/10