Any film slapped up together in the end days of Vichy France and saddled with the accolade of Greatest Ever French Film would do well just to avoid being a crushing disappointment. However, Carné's unhurried tale of unrequited love and deception in 1830s Paris survives the plaudits and works perfectly effectively as a witty soap scattered with snippets of real insight into the workings of desire. Darker characterisations such as the cynical bandit Lacenaire are also featured, which carry a far more contemporary resonance yet never derail the prevalent deft lightness of tone. I even felt generous enough to forgive the protracted sequences where we're asked to acknowledge the genius of mime, the Greatest Ever French Comedy.7/10
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