Derived from Raymond Jean's novel of the same name, this story within a story stars the delightful and engaging actress Miou-Miou as every bibliophile's dream girl. Inspired by the tale she's reading in bed to her lover, Marie decides to embark on her own career as a paid reader for an eccentric assortment of lonely, local citizens. What follows is a whimsical literary romp that's as irresistible as a perfect dessert. It's a sexy, light-hearted, utterly French excursion that quotes Baudelaire, Lewis Carroll, Tolstoy, Marguerite Duras, Jacques Prevert, and the Marquis de Sade. Shot in Arles in winter with flawless attention to color, the film also features a perfectly paced score by Beethoven.

Havi Hoffman