Review of La fille sur le pont

If you want a provocative romantic double-bill for the weekend, I strongly suggest this film followed by Luc Besson's odd but engaging Angel-A; both films open with an individual about to jump off a bridge in Paris--they are each stopped from leaping by another person who wanders by--leading to complications. Both films are lushly photographed in black and white (odd for such contemporary films, but highly effective), and both give us quirky lead characters who attempt to find some meaning in their lives; The Girl On The Bridge takes us to other cities beside Paris, and Angel-A has a hair-raising shot from the Eiffel Tower--Paris really a major character, too. While adult in nature, neither film is excessively violent,although the language in Angel-A can get pretty salty. Both are often funny in their look at relationships, often satirical, though seldom biting; while not masterpieces, both are good fun for the closet Romantic--and in this case, the director being Patrice Leconte, fun for those of us who like a little weirdness tossed into the narrative.