Opening with one of those idealised movieworld Christmas parties that then takes a sudden tragic turn, Dan Levy writes/directs/co-produces this romantic drama and stars as an artist grieving the loss of his husband, and after an unexpected discovery about their relationship takes his two best friends on a trip to Paris the following December. It is beautifully written with an excellent balance of warmth and spikiness, Levy's central performance displaying dignity and honesty, and the supporting characters feel genuine and well-written, with some lovely character work by the great Himesh Patel and a delightfully feisty turn from Ruth Negga as his two best friends. It treads a very fine (and sometimes wavering) line between exploring grief and being overtly romantic - the overtly glib tourists-in-Paris trappings may look great but lend an unnecessary sense of artificiality - but overall the film is well-played and shot through with a gorgeous sense of gentle melancholy.
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