The first thing to say about this fine movie is that there is absolutely nothing new in the content; as soon as Patrick Chesnais agrees to give a lift to Jeanne Lambert - after approximately ten to fifteen minutes - we know it's only a matter of time before the two wounded birds - one in his sixties, one around fifteen - help each other to fly again. There's a slight resemblance to Philippe Muyl's Le Papillon except there the girl was pre-pubescent but both films are excellent. On the other hand Jean Becker doesn't do mediocre and time and time again - Les Enfants du marais, effroyable jardins - he manages to satisfy our feel-good appetites as he does once again. It's good to see Miou-Miou on this side of the channel once again - though she remains active in France her recent output has been confined to 'domestic' films - albeit the lion's share of screen time is shared between the two leads. I doubt if it will draw flies at the Multiplex but that says more about them than this delightful charmer.

I am not very used to this kind of features, but from time to time I think it's refreshing ; that's the word this movie deserves. After a very depressing beginning, you slowly but surely feel better as the story continues.This tale of a depressed and nearly suicidal mooded man in his mid sixties, who escapes from his "too much normal life" and then meets a runaway teenage girl is very poignant and also unusual. Although we have already seen that before, but not too often. No one can stay "cold" watching such a so simple and heartbreaking story. Jean Becker gave us some films like this one. I would say it's just his trade mark. Don't miss it.