'Little White Lies' reviewed by Jess Cree

Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) (2010)
Director: Guillaume Canet
Duration: 154 mins
Rating: ****

Every year, Max invites all of his friends to his holiday home in Bordeaux. He resents that his success as a restaurant owner has led them to rely on him so much and can never truly relax. Just before leaving, one of the friends is hit by a lorry on his way home from a nightclub and it looks like the holiday may be called off. But deciding that there’s nothing more they could do for him in Paris, they set off for their relaxing break. The group’s relationships are tested to the full and all of the little white lies they’ve been telling each other start to creep through the gaps.
The setting for the film is simply beautiful; the beach lodge where the group stay on a Bordeaux beach in southwest France is to die for. In addition, the soundtrack is lovely and is thankfully available to buy.
This film is a great success for French cinema, which seems to be growing from strength to strength; you only have to look at the triumph of films like Amélie (2001) and La Marche de l’Empereur (March of the Penguins - 2004) to see that francophone films are becoming more popular for mainstream viewing. If you enjoy French cinema, look out for Les Aventures Extraordinaires d’Adele Blanc-Sec, which is showing at the Tyneside Cinema now. From previews, it looks like it’ll be a thrilling watch, albeit with a hint of The Mummy.