Mood Indigo

French director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) is a purveyor of endearingly DIY flights of fantasy, so adapting Boris Vian's cult 1947 novel seems a perfect fit. But although it co-stars Audrey Tautou as its love interest, Chloé, this isn't a wacky love story in the vein of Amélie, rather a genuine attempt to tackle the book, which tells the story of rich socialite Colin (Romain Duris), a somewhat feckless fop trying to survive in an Orwellian world ruled by industry and religion. For an hour, the film borders on genius, with playful visuals and unbelievable in-camera effects: a piano composes cocktails; a slow boogie makes its dancers' legs grow; and in an indelible scene Colin literally cuts the screen in half to create a half-sunny, half-rainy picnic. The second half, however, takes a darker turn that caters more to serious fans of a weird book than those hoping for a light French fancy.