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This is an exquisite first feature from director Zonca. Isa (Bouchez) is an effervescent 20-year-old backpacker living on her wits, until she meets feisty Marie (Regnier) in a clothing sweatshop while she's staying at a small town in Northern France. They move in together, sharing the house of a family recently traumatised by a car accident - the mother is dead and her daughter is in hospital in a coma.
Gentle humour and deep poignancy abound as the two girls slowly realise that their ideas of love and loyalty are slowly becoming polarised. Although small in scale, The Dream Life Of Angels is a touching, beautifully constructed tale. Bouchez is completely adorable and a real pleasure to watch as the peerless foil to Regnier's more awkward, screwed-up performance (they shared the female performance prize at Cannes).
The result is an understated, engrossing and delicious slice of French bittersweet film-making. Just try to fight off those tears come the end.
NO VERDICT
