J’invente rien (2006) - film review

From the moment they meet, Paul and Mathilde know they are made for another.  He is an idealist, a societal dropout and eternal adolescent.  She is both romantic and practical, earning a modest living as an artist and decorator in Paris.  After five years of living together, Mathilde becomes insistent that Paul gets a job, but he only becomes more certain that he is destined for better things.  One day, he has a brilliant idea for an invention – a gadget to make carrying shopping bags easier.  Certain that this will earn him his fortune, Paul throws everything he has into his new venture, without realising that he may be about to lose Mathilde to another man…

J’invente rien is one of those modest, unpretentious French films which is nearly always a pleasure to watch, although this one has the added attraction of an enchanting leading actress in the form of Elsa Zylberstein.  Whilst it probably won’t win many awards for originality, the film is seductively charming and sometimes very funny, a typically Gallic rom-com of the kind that never goes out of fashion.  Fine acting performances all round more than compensate for a few deficiencies in the script (the eccentric ending and the unconvincing “mad” inventor played by Patrick Chesnais are two elements which mar one’s enjoyment of the film).  Whilst this has very much the feel of a first film, its care-free approach and minor stylistic flaws add to its appeal, and overall Michel Leclerc makes a promising directorial debut.

© James Travers 2007

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A very charming film, Set in one of the most interesting cities, Paris, with characters close to normal, and with nothing pretentious, this makes a pleasant evening’s viewing.
Paul-Andre Bourassa (Sherbrooke Qc) 

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