Priceless

Priceless
Firstlook Studios Blu-ray

Romantic Comedies are a distinctly American genre, but so few of the ones produced here are ever worth watching. "Priceless" from France reminds us how it should be done. The locations on the French Riviera are spectacular, and are shot beautifully. The script is both funny and touching. The cast is engaging. You get the idea.

This is a timeless romp through locales we all aspire to, with direction that knows enough to keep out of the way and allow the cast to stretch out. Gad Elmaleh, who was tremendous in "The Valet," is a likeable every-man who dares to set his sights on a woman who is willing to trade on her looks to move way up in station. That woman, Irene, is played by Audrey Tautou, whom we've come to know in quirkier roles in "Amelie" and of course "The Da Vinci Code." Tautou is mesmerizing, channeling great screen sirens of the past, as "Priceless" showcases her abilities, and a beauty somehow barely hinted at before.

"Priceless" is wholy deserving on its own merits, but the breakthrough performance by Tautou elevates it even further.