Movies with subtitles are often a hard sell to U.S. audiences. Nonetheless, some of the better movies in theaters now come from other countries. “Roman de Gare,” a delightful blend of comedy, romance, and mystery, is such a film. Here, people are not what they seem to be – you have Judith Ralitzer, a popular French novelist (Fanny Ardant) who may or may not be responsible for killing her ghost writer, and Pierre (Dominique Pinon), with his pushed in face and blue eyes, who may or may not be a serial killer or a run-away husband. One evening, Pierre, who is on his way to Cannes, offers to give Huguette (Audrey Dana) a ride. Huguette, who has been abandoned at a gas station after a fight with her fiancé, is on her way to visit her family. She asks Pierre to pretend to be her doctor boyfriend and he agrees. Some of the fun begins as the two of them try to maneuver around an awkward situation and a tentative love grows out of their arrangement. However, director Claude Lelouch is also making a mystery. When Pierre eventually gets to Cannes, he tells Judith he wants his name on her next book because, after all, he’s writing it. Forced into a corner, Judith is ready to take drastic measures to salvage her reputation and her livelihood.
Not only is the plot of “Roman de Gare” top notch, but so is the acting. Pinon, not movie-star handsome, is an interesting choice for a leading man. Initially creepy and then endearing, he’s a joy to watch as we gradually begin to care what happens to him. And Dana’s Huguette, at first so abrasive, slowly softens as she interacts with her family and Pierre. Veteran Fanny Ardant brings elegance to the role of a novelists who can blithely rationalize cheating as acceptable behavior. “Roman de gare" translates as a best-seller, the type of novel one might find for sale at an airport or train station. And like a best-seller, “Roman de Gare” is engaging from beginning to end. (6/12/08)
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