Midnight Talks

Meet Matylda. She's a single, confident, sophisticated, thirtysomething woman with just one thing missing in her life: a baby. Aware that she might not have many years left in which to get one, yet unable to find any kind of satisfactory romance, she places an advert for a man willing to impregnate her and get out of the way. Bartok, who answers it, seems ideal - but that's just the problem.

Midnight Talks comes across like a self-consciously modern, intensified version of When Harry Met Sally, with two lonely protagonists who just don't seem to think of looking for love in the obvious place. Matylda is a sculptor, dedicated to her work; Bartok is a chef whose cooking cannot help but impress. But Bartok doesn't know how to talk to women and Matylda, after struggling through a series of increasingly terrible dates, is close to giving up on men. So desperate is she that she has started pretending to be pregnant in order to participate in life as she thinks she ought to be living it.

The trouble with this situation is that we've seen it - or very similar situations - many times before, and in story terms, Midnight Talks doesn't really have anything new to say. However, it is enlivened by a sharp script and an endearingly quirky sense of humour. One can't help feeling that if it had taken itself a bit less seriously it might have been really charming. Where it is less sophisticated - such as in its use of McDonald's as a romantic restaurant - it is much more likable. The leads are charming enough but we need these extra little details to help us get to know them - with its glossy imagery and polished dialogue, the film needs a few rough edges we can get to grips with.

If you're looking for a fairly lightweight, entertaining date movie or a film to enjoy with your friends on a Saturday night, Midnight Talks will serve you well. It just won't leave you with a great deal to talk about.