Rosenn

"Rosenn" (Hande Kodja) lives on one of those luscious French colonial islands (in this case it's Guadeloupe) with her ageing father and who is promised, just about, in marriage to the honourbale but maybe a little bit soporific "Cavairac" (Stanislas Merhar). Then a fly arrives in their ointment in the form of British writer "Lafoly" (Rupert Everett). He's an elegant sophisticate who immediately takes a shine to "Rosenn" and despite some token opposition from her beau, the pair are soon talking elopement, married and expecting a child. Leading up to this point, though, we begin to see cracks develop in their relationship. When the thrills of the chase and the throes of passion are sated, just who is "Lafoly"? Can he really be her knight in shining armour set to take her away from her verdant mundanity or is he an altogether more shallow and selfish individual? When a tragedy ensues (or does it?) the writing would appear to be on the wall for just about everyone in this gentle memodrama and, moreover, as the twentieth century heads ever closer to a Great War that is going to drag both Britain and France into conflict, what chance these two star-crossed lovers can ever reconcile and for "Rosenn" to discover the truth? Aside from demonstrating that Everett is dashing and perfectly fluent in French and quite a touching effort from Kodja as the troubled "Rosenn", there isn't a great deal to be said for this pleasant enough drama - it's really only the location cinematography and the production design that impresses a little. It's not especially predicable, which is a bonus, but it's not really very memorable either.