An egotistical writer is unexpectedly jilted by his girlfriend (before he has a chance to do the same to her), and in a moment of self-pity accepts a bizarre proposal from his publisher: seduce a woman at random, dump her at the moment of conquest, and keep a running diary (to be published afterward) of the entire affair. Not surprisingly, he finds himself at first annoyed, then intrigued, then attracted to his chosen victim, but what could have been just another variation of a sentimental romantic formula becomes, instead, a witty and often cynical portrait of male vanity and vulnerability. This is one of those rare examples of a near flawless script matched to a director able to maintain a genuine sense of style, without all the phony, flashy technical showmanship so popular with young filmmakers eager to make a quick impression. The finished film walks a fine line between the credible and the contrived without once missing a step, softening its already sharp (and sometimes savage) observations behind an understated, gently deprecating tone.
Review of La discrète
