Under the Rainbow – DVD review

Agnès Jaoui, 2013

Artificial Eye

Laura first sets eyes on Sandro standing underneath a statue of an angel that is pointing directly at him, and falls gladly into the moonstruck romance she has always dreamed of.

The film is shot through with knowing send-ups of romantic fairytales, scenes dissolving unexpectedly into slow-motion montages.

Jaoui is at her best when she steps back from this lampooning, and focuses on the unresolved attraction between Laura’s aunt (Jaoui herself) and Sandro’s father (Jean-Pierre Bacri). Neuroses, the terror of death and the disappointments of family are addressed with eloquence and subtle wit.