AllMovie

On the surface, Jeanne Labrune's C'est le Bouquet! may seem a trifle -- a complexly clever but slight romantic comedy. Beneath the surface, that's pretty much what it is. Nevertheless, the film is tremendously amusing, exceptionally well acted, and inimitably French. Sandrine Kiberlain brings heart to her role. Dominique Blanc brings heart plus a stunning Thierry Mugler wardrobe. These characters might have seemed silly in the wrong hands, but this cast shows us their essential humanity. Highlights include a comical discussion of a monosodium glutamate allergy and an audition for a role in a play as "the man who does not act." C'est le Bouquet! may start off with a Keaton clip, but the film finds most of its humor in the way these misbehaving people communicate verbally. Word games and double meanings abound, and one suspects that audiences who speak French will get substantially more out of the film. But the well-turned wordplay is entertaining regardless. There's an underlying poignancy to these characters' lives, in their desperation to connect with one another, and in their hopeless need to reconcile their ideals with the way they live, that makes the film linger in the memory.