Liebe um jeden Preis (2006)

Liebe um jeden Preis: Directed by Pierre Salvadori. With Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Marie-Christine Adam, Vernon Dobtcheff. Through a set of wacky circumstances, a young gold digger mistakenly woos a mild-mannered bartender, thinking he’s a wealthy suitor.

“Audrey Tatou is stunning, giving a complex performance as the sexy, conniving, vulnerable and ready to love Irène. The character is a gold-digger reminiscent of that other Audrey, Hepburn, in Breakfast at Tiffanyu0026#39;s, and Priceless manages to achieve the same tension of elegance and decadence, playful banter and fraught undertones. There is something very dark about the scene where Irène, dumped by her latest rich beau, and left literally with only the bikini she has on, sits shivering at poolside while the sun sets and the place chances from bathers to dinner jackets. In an instant she goes from queen of her arena to a spectator. It is a complex tone shift few Hollywood (or British) rom-coms manage to attempt, never mind pull off.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGad Elmaleh as Jean is perfectly love-struck and versatile. Strong support comes from Marie-Christine Adam as the hard but equally self-deluding Madeleine, and Vernon Dobtcheff as Irèneu0026#39;s first victim, Jacques. There is something quite grown-up and yet naively innocent about this film, with characters who can do the most awful things but never enough to stop you caring about them. Vivid colour palette, and slickly shot, the music works well, too. Well worth seeing.”