Une Femme d'extérieur (2000) **

Directed by Christophe Blanc. With Agnès Jaoui, Serge Riaboukine, Bernadette Lambert. Although she’s French, Françoise (Jaoui) doesn’t take it too well when she discovers her husband’s infidelity. Instead of being very sophisticated about it - like most women in French films - she reacts somewhat violently and very loudly, using nails and profanities instead of ironic put-downs and brittle retorts. As for the film, it makes a fatal mistake of not immediately defining the characters and their relationships. Consequently, the viewer is often lost, unsure how to react to certain confrontations and revelations. The acting might be first rate, but its emotional impact is severely diluted.