Petites Coupures

Daniel Auteuil struggles valiantly to make an impact as the ageing lothario whose world collapsed with the Berlin Wall in this meandering comedy drama of sexual manners. But, as in his previous outing, Rien sur Robert, director Pascal Bonitzer succeeds only in keeping his star shuttling between a variety of transient characters without pausing to let us learn very much about him. This tactic also reduces the performances of wife Emmanuelle Devos and his countless lovers to mere walk-on parts, with only Kristin Scott Thomas registering as the kook he meets while visiting his elderly uncle Jean Yanne. Polished but aimlessly superficial.