A fine romance... 'Broken English'

This was a surprise. Low key, small scale and all the better for it, 'Broken English' explores New York thirty-something Nora's nervy, anxious search for the love which she senses is passing her by. Parker Posey, who I don't really recognise from anything else, is great in the role, her confidence, mood, even her appearance visibly changing from scene to scene as the movie progresses. Melvin Poupaud, as Julien, the Frenchman she runs into, is a perfect foil, sensitive to her mood swings and anxieties while, in demanding the big decision on which the film pivots, creating some fresh ones of his own. 

The action swings between New York and Paris and for once Paris is played by itself, not by the usual stock footage of the Eiffel Tower seen through a hotel window. A small, resonant, genuinely romantic and very human film - I liked it a lot.

Unfortunately, I have to add that it won't be out in the UK till I don't know when - I caught it on a transatlantic Air France flight where the choice of English language movies was limited (or I might not have bothered). I should also add that I nearly always enjoy movies hugely on planes, and am often moved to tears by the sappiest things, which I put down to either the pressurized cabin or the large quantities of booze I've usually managed to put away by the time the film starts, so maybe I'm not the best judge.  But if you need something similar to keep you going, I'd recommend 'Once' very strongly.