Offers rarely-seen honesty on women

It`s a heartbreaking and strangely uplifting pwerhouse of a film, a knockout debut.

First time writer-director Erick Zonka draws us irresistibly into the world of Isa - (Elodie Bouchez) - a young wanderer through life who finds herself in the city of Lille, hawking self-made postcards on the street. One of her customers offers her a real job, as a seamstress in a factory. Isa is quite hopeless - you get the feeling she`s not really good at anything very much, but at the factory she meets Marie - (Natasha Regnier), who seemingly uncaringly offers to house the homeless Isa. It`s not actually Marie`s apartment, she`s merely inhabiting it because the woman who owned it died in a car accident and her daughter is in a coma in hospital. Surprisingly Isa and Marie find an exuberance about life together..This is one of the best French films of recent years. The performances of the two women are extraordinarily real. But what I loved about it was that it wasn`t about Isa as a loser, which would have been predictable. Isa is in fact a winner in life because she knows what`s of value. It`s Marie who`s the problem. This film offers an honesty about women rarely seen on screen. Zonka`s realistic approach to his material mirrors its integrity. It`s a heartbreaking and strangely uplifting pwerhouse of a film, a knockout debut...David`s Comments:This represents the new school of French cinema - an interest in marginalised, out-of work, homeless people. The film`s principle asset is the radiance of the two young actors - they*re heartbreakingly good. They`re dreamers in a pretty ugly world. I very much liked the way expectations are confronted- like the big, ugly bouncer who proves to be a genuinely sweet and tender person, unlike the conventionally good-looking nightclub owner who*s an utter bastard. And I loved the scenes in hospital between the Bouchez character and the girl in the coma.