6 December 2013
A retired expat, relentlessly polite Englishman, Joseph (James Fox; excellent), isn't enjoying the good life. He and his Irish wife, Brenda (Brenda Fricker; good but maybe miscast – you can't imagine her ever floating this man's boat) are based in Nimes and befriend a young couple on holiday (Natalie Dormer and Paul Nicholls). Joseph feels buried alive in paradise. Can pretty, bubbly, sensitive Suzanne pull him free?
It's brave to explore the interior life of a man who never warms up. Unfortunately, director Virginia Gilbert doesn't trust us to handle the chill winds and opts for something that has no temperature at all.
