My Afternoons with Margueritte – review

You really will need a sweet tooth for this one. Or rather, you will need a complete set of dentures made out of Mars Bars and Creme Eggs. It is a glutinously sentimental small-town tale about a supposedly lovable dungaree-wearing chump called Germain, played by Gérard Depardieu. Royally messed up in childhood by a cruel mum and derided by oafish mates at the local bistro, he finds friendship with a sweet-natured old lady in the park, played by veteran Gisèle Casadesus. That's not to say he is entirely missing out on life, oh dear me no: the extremely portly, jowly Germain just happens to be enjoying regular sex with a (mystifyingly) devoted girlfriend, played by 32-year-old Sophie Guillemin, one of French cinema's most attractive stars – which frankly rather undermines all the supposed pathos of the poor lonely dope's melancholy friendship with a twinkle-eyed old lady etc etc. Casadesus brings some dignity and poise to the movie.