In 1960s Paris, a conservative couple's lives are turned upside down by two Spanish maids.
The ensemble performances bring charm and vitality to an otherwise overly cosy set-up.
Featherweight.
Enjoyably satirical and occasionally insightful, it's betrayed by some lazy stereotyping.
Highly predictable, but that's half the appeal. A film that asks nothing more than that you sit back, allow others to do the work, and enjoy.
Almost shamelessly slick and wilfully unsubstantial, this look at bourgeois sensibilities in early 1960s Paris at least succeeds on its own terms.
It sounds deceptively simple but around the gentle tale of romance and longing there are some serious comments on class, politics, the legacy of the Spanish Civil War and European life in the era of Mad Men. A real tonic.
In this comedy of manners, it's a clash of culture, class and stereotypes.
Luchini almost rescues it from its own complacency, but the script is equal parts blocked toilets and soft-boiled eggs.
The comedy is slight to the point of non-existence and the dawning of romance improbable, but its soft-centred gaiety is at least inoffensive.
The socio-economic moral is ladled on like great big dollops of paella.
Warm-hearted but silly.
It's just a shame that Le Guay misjudges the film's final 10 minutes, shifting into a romantic drama that feels tacked-on and sits uncomfortably with the preceding 90 minutes of frothy comedy.
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday July 6, 2012, until Thursday July 12, 2012. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Friday July 6, 2012, until Thursday July 19, 2012. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/
Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee from Friday July 6, 2012, until Thursday July 19, 2012. More info: www.dca.org.uk
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