#REVIEW: “FRENCH GIRL”

By Mr. Will Wong

As the era of the Rom-Com remains a thing of the past, FRENCH GIRL defiantly reminds us how much we miss the genre.

Co-Writers and Co-Directors Nicolas Wright and James A. Woods pay tribute to their families and upbringing in this charming story, set in their hometown of Quebec City.  We meet Gordon (Zac Braff), who accompanies his girlfriend Sophie (Evelyne Brochu) back home to her family farm, where he meets her family for the first time.  Things get off a fumbling start and enter the picture Ruby (Vanessa Hudgens) who is launching a Michelin-caliber restaurant, giving Sophie a chance to test for the position of head chef.  Gordon is sure that Sophie‘s the one, but has his work cut out for him. For one he’s sure her father isn’t a fan of such a ‘thinking man’.

FRENCH GIRL explores tropes we’ve seen time and time again – the love triangle, the competing suitor who has everything –  but it somehow manages to feel fresh and unique here. For one, we’ve never seen it done here at home in Canada, and exploring the cultural nuances between Americans, French-Canadians and Anglo-Canadians. Add to that, putting city folks in the country as well. It is an escape that we feel invested in and it proves rewarding enough to stay aboard.

Braff is fantastic as Gordon, channeling a little John Ritter. It is impossible not to think of that comedic legend when we see Braff on-screen here. He’s clumsy, relatable and magnetic as he feels he’s losing the love of his life in circumstances beyond his control.  Brochu is absolutely radiant, and though we aren’t too familiar with her work outside of Orphan Black, she plays Sophie with grace and is a woman worth fighting for.  We aren’t used to seeing Hudgens play the villain – and with such a heavy hand – but she is effective as a ‘meanie’, who stands a chance at sabotaging Gordon’s plans to propose to Sophie, playing her cards craftily. Antoine Olivier Pilon left quite a mark in Xavier Dolan‘s Mommy and it’s been a while since we’ve seen him, but he’s great as Sophie’s live-at-home ‘jock’ brother, trying to learn English to become a police officer.

Elevation Pictures release FRENCH GIRL March 15, 2024 theatrically and whether you see it there on on Crave where will be will land later, this is an pure joyeux!