Les émotifs anonymes (Jean-Pierre Améris, 2010)

In the first encounter between the two leads of Romantics Anonymous, the chocolate factory boss asks the woman who has come seeking a job to define the particular quality of chocolate that sets it aside from sweets, and she summarises it as being distinguished by its degree of bitterness. This film, however, despite being about two painfully and dysfunctionally shy people, is far more sugary sweet than bittersweet in essence; basically a fairy-tale as the wallflowers cautiously circle each other before plunging in at last. It's a very slight piece, granted a great deal of indulgence by being as airy as a ganache with some titterworthy scenes, and Poelvoorde and Carré do make a charmingly hopeless duo, even if their neuroses hardly convince.

5/10