Cote D'Azur

This bawdy French import deals with sexual behavior in a lighthearted but mature, sophisticated way (as opposed to Hollywood comedies, which almost invariably handle sex in a smarmy, sophomoric fashion). Cote D'Azur revolves around a French family who settle into a beautiful Mediterranean chateau for what is expected to be a relaxing summer vacation. Soon there's an inordinate amount of activity going on, although very little of it involves sunbathing or volleyball. Mother Beatrix (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) and father Marc (Gilbert Melki) seem to project the very essence of connubial bliss, but she's rushing off to late-night trysts with a lover, and he's fending off the advances of an old flame. What's more, 19-year-old daughter Laura (Sabrina Seyvecou) is bumping privates with her biker boyfriend, and 16-year-old son Charly (Romain Torres) is coming to grips with his burgeoning homosexuality. American viewers might find such behavior a bit off-putting, but writer-directors Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau manage to make it work with their breezy approach to the material—smart, sassy, and oh-so-irreverent, but emanating such joie de vivre that you just have to go along for the ride. Recommended. (E. Hulse)