French Girl

Directed by James A. Woods and Nicolas Wright, French Girl follows Zach Braff’s Gordon as he flies to Quebec city to meet his girlfriend’s (Evelyne Brochu’s Sophie) family – with the narrative also detailing Sophie’s efforts at landing a coveted chef job under a former flame (Vanessa Hudgens’ Ruby). There’s little doubt, ultimately, that French Girl fares best in its promising, breezy opening stretch, as filmmaker Woods and Wright, armed with their own screenplay, deliver a briskly-paced romcom that’s heightened by the affable and charismatic efforts of its two stars – with the palpable chemistry between Braff and Brochu going a long way towards perpetuating the thoroughly watchable atmosphere. It’s disappointing to note, then, that French Girl begins to peter out once the action shifts to Quebec City, as the picture’s been suffused with a whole host of contrived, unappealing attributes that slowly-but-surely render its positives moot – with the emphasis placed on hopelessly eye-rolling (and hackneyed) sitcom-level happenings (eg Gordon’s engagement ring is stolen by Sophie’s senile grandmother). (The lackluster is vibe is undoubtedly compounded by Hudgens’ aggressively ineffective and grating turn as Sophie’s ex and potential boss.) By the time the frenetic finale rolls around, French Girl has confirmed its place as a missed opportunity that’s squandered a workable setup and personable lead performances to a distressingly palpable extent.

*1/2 out of ****