Seeing foreign films at the cinema can be a mixed bag, as even though I love art house cinema, they can sometimes push those boundaries too far and just become a little bit of arty wankieness! However, when I got my invite for ‘My Afternoon With Margueritte’ (and, yes, her name is meant to have two t’s as its part of the story), I knew I was going to be in safe hands as Gerard Depardieu was starring, which meant at the least it should have some good comedy moments. So, with only that knowledge, I sat down hoping for a good bit of French cinema.

“It's the story of one of those improbable encounters that can change the course of one's life: the encounter, in a small public garden, between Germain, fifty and barely literate, and Margueritte, a little old lady passionate about reading. Forty years and 220 pounds separate them. One day, purely by chance, Germain sits down beside Margueritte. She'll go on to read aloud extracts from novels and thereby allow him to discover the magic of books, from which Germain imagined he was excluded for life. Until then, his family circle and drinking buddies took him for an idiot; stupidity will now change places! But Margueritte is losing her sight. For the love of this charming, mischievous and caring grandmother, Germain will teach himself and show her that he's capable of reading aloud to her when she is no longer able to do so herself.”

Sadly, I had to sit in the second row, which is normally not a good thing, and with the subtitles it became a slight chore following what was being said as I was just too close to read and also take in everything.  But the film was tight, simple and so sweet that it wasn’t much of an issue by the end. It really is a love story unlike any I’ve seen before and summing it up as ‘sweet’ really does sum it up. Sure it had elements that didn’t work but all up I really enjoyed it.

7.5 out of 10 from me.