Search: Starring Catherine Deneuve

Ozon's quirky French murder mystery-cum-comedy-cum-musical is a brilliant pastiche on so many genres, it has no right to be as entertaining as it is, or as gripping.

With enjoyable performances, particularly from Lacoste and Gallienne and a decent stab at an 'importance of friendship' message underlying the laughs, Asterix is pleasant company, even if this isn't quite as magic as his potion.

Couture by Yves Saint Laurent and lush photography drown us in luxurious chic.

Romain Duris is excellent as the main character.

The higher the emotions are supposed to be stacked, the less enjoyable and more obtuse the story becomes.

The levels of twee are fairly high, and contrasted with the bizarre and often regressive gendered comedy it’s likely to divide audiences right down the middle.

In many ways the film is stronger for being viewed at a distance from the events it depicts.

Here, the times are changing and so is the plot. In fact, you can expect a mood swing every five minutes, in a story so muddled even the strong cast, including Gerard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve, can't save it.

A truly innovative piece of filmmaking which mixes cinema-verité style documentary with a knowing postmodern self-consciousness.

Bjork demonstrates an intuitive talent for acting that breaks your heart.

Donkey Skin is right there at the crossroads, capturing a moment of change as well as the timeless nature of storytelling.

Production designer Olivier Radot and costume designer Pascaline Chavanne revel in the colors and textures of Seventies casino ambiance.

Seydoux takes us into the maelstrom with Lucy, determined and doubtful, angry and grief-stricken, fearful and belligerent all at the same time.

Because it is so self-consciously light, this film never quite has the impact it might have done, but it's still an interesting take on an unusual phenomenon.

All of the pieces fit together perfectly so that questions arise in the mind of the viewer exactly when they should, and little shifts of mood have unexpected consequences.

Plot points are ticked off a checklist but the characters remain remote.

Where is the plot? What is the hook?

Despite its considerable length, it avoids overstaying its welcome.

Our view, through Bergé's eyes, is that of the melancholic, someone who has the object of desire but has lost the object-cause of desire.

Depardieu's role feels underwritten, although you can't fault Truffaut for an accurate assessment of not just his character but the star when someone describes Bernard as being "a little like Jean Gabin, physical yet gentle".

The acting here is of high quality, with Frot shading just enough warmth and melancholy into Claire to stop her becoming a total wet blanket... Deneuve, throwing caution to the wind

After two-and-a-half hours of this, you worry about your own sanity.

Seen purely in aesthetic terms, Persepolis is an object of rare beauty, with no obvious precedents or parallels in the history of anime.

Deneuve has taken an enormous risk with this role, which has paid off a thousand fold.

Ozon uses the building blocks of the comic tradition to tell a much more empowering tale that plays genuine tribute to a rounded female character.

The juxtaposition between comedy and meditation on contemporary life does throw the viewer off-guard a little bit, but it is no the less effective for doing so.

The beauty of this film is that as it carries us along we see how Carole's every reaction makes sense, even whilst occasional glimpses through the eyes of others show clearly that she has completely lost it.

With heart-rending emotion and considerable physical punch Emmanuelle Bercot immerses us in French young offenders’ procedures.

As a comedy of manners, it is exquisite.

In less sensitive hands than Kore-eda's, it could have come across as cloyingly introverted but instead there is wit and warmth in the observed relationship between the two women.

What makes the film stand out, apart from the fact that it is a musical, is its reluctance to go all the way with the melodrama.