This 2011 offering has Audrey Tautou in it. Need one say more? Ever since I watched her as "Amelie" in 2001 I've been entranced, like the rest of the world. In the airy and whimsical "La delicatesse" she plays Nathalie Kerr, an essentially joyful soul who is suddenly widowed one fine day when her beloved husband dies in an accident. She loses herself in grief and takes recourse in her work, and only her work. A few years pass before something unexpected happens. This something takes the shape of a tall, blond, endearing, sensitive and all-round decent (Swedish) guy named Markus Lundell who happens to be her co- worker. Nathalie and Markus play off each other's fears, in a way: she is under the shadow of her grief still, and he is so swept off his feet by his feelings for her that he is actually afraid of moving forward lest he hurt himself. Their back-and-forth is awkward, even clumsy; yet lighthearted enough to prise a smile out of the most jaded viewer.More here: http://devikamenon.blogspot.com/2016/06/french-movie- Friday-la-delicatesse.html

I wonder who decided to name this film "Delicacy" in English... Since the French title "La Délicatesse" means literally "Gentleness" and the story is all about gentleness in the relationship between the main characters.A very French film, a gentle film about gentleness and love. Good writing (the film was deservedly nominated for a César award), good acting, catchy soundtrack. I enjoyed it very much, but it's not your typical romantic comedy... I would say that it is not a comedy at all, but rather it is a deep and delicate drama about people who have been hurt in the past and how they need to recover gently, slowly, in order to be able to love again.

'La délicatesse' is a lovely French dish written by David Foenkinos and directed by both David and Stéphane Foenkinos. Much of the success of this slightly to the edge story of the vagaries of love and life as they intertwine is due to the presence of the irresistible charm and charisma of lead actress Audrey Tautou. She is able to take this story that at times seems impossibly off track and keep it grounded in her sense of lightness and focus, making us believe that what actually happens to this character is truly quite possible.Nathalie Kerr (Audrey Tautou) is a successful businesswoman who happens to meet the rather unkempt but impish François (Pio Marmaï, an irresistibly charming actor) quite by accident (and an order of apricot juice) in a café. Nathalie is literally swept off her feet and rather quickly this spontaneous meeting of hearts results in blissful marriage. The perfect scenario ends tragically when François is accidentally kill. Nathalie's heart seems irreparable and she trudges through life bathed in grief and longing. Even her handsome boss Charles (Bruno Todeschini) can't woo her: Nathalie is frank in her objection that Charles is a married man. Then the door to her office opens and a subordinate nerdy appearing geek named Markus Lundi (François Damiens) walks in and Nathalie impetuously greets him with a passionate kiss - an act she represses thinking that such a deed was impossible. And this apparent one- sided accidental occurrence lightens Markus' life and he is committed to falling in love with the resistant Nathalie. The 'courtship' leads to Nathalie's recognition that love and happiness can happen in the most unexpected places and ways.Summarizing the story makes it sound trite and bordering on silly, but it is the delicately French manner in which it is told that makes the film so refreshingly endearing. The entire cast is first class (director Stéphane Foenkinos is best known as one of France's best casting directors!) but it is the glimmering lightness of Tautou and Marmaï and Damiens that make it sail. A perfect Valentine. Grady Harp

In retrospect Amelie was probably something of a mixed blessing in the career of Audrey Tautou. Prior to that breakthrough role she was getting decent roles in quality movies such as Tonie Marshall's Venus Beaute where she could coast in the wake of a heavy hitter like Nathalie Baye and let her carry the movie. After Amalie it was of course Tautou herself who had to pick up the ball and run with it and the results have been mixed at best and along the way she has had to watch as others - Isobel Carre for example, in Romantics Anonymous - have excelled in roles tailor-made for Tautou. Delicacy helps restore the balance and despite the inexperience of a first-time director there is still sufficient charm on hand to lift it out of the run-of-the-mill and it does no harm at all to have Ariane Ascaride along for the ride albeit wasted and underused at one and the same time. As time-passers go and antidotes to the cgi fodder this is as good as any and better than most.