Fridae

Gorgeous gay director Francois Ozon is well-known for his women's dramas in French, such as 8 Women, Swimming Pool and Under the Sand. Now with international funding, he has made his first feature in English called Angel.

Set in Edwardian England, the film stars Romola Garai (last seen in Atonement) as the ambitious daughter of a simple grocer who finds fame and fortune through writing trashy bodice-ripping novels. But despite her meteoric rise to the upper echelons of English society, her own love life is always less than satisfying.

Even after capturing the man of her dreams (Michael Fassbender), he falls short of her high expectations, failing to provide the passionate romance she frequently writes about...

The film offers astute observations on women and ambition, and posits the theory that perhaps women can't have everything. Romola Garai throws herself recklessly into the lead role and some supporting actors such as Charlotte Rampling and Sam Neill lend much-needed star power.

But Angel ultimately feels short on genuine emotive power and, hence, unsatisfying. As if to echo the lead character's own fictitious, over-the-top romance novels, the action is sometimes directed to look deliberately phony. Directing in English for the first time, Francois can't seem (or chooses not to) to bring out the nuanced performances and the arch, playful tone that he is known for. As a result, the film feels curiously distant and unengaging.