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This year’s SDiFF has wrapped up and it was a fantastic weekend celebrating the world of film. The line-up did not disappoint either. Filled with great documentaries, full-length features, and many short-films from all over the globe. Several of them grabbed my attention and provided some entertaining cinema. One of them being a short-film from French director Wilfried Méance called “Caramel Mou” or in English, “Unleavened Bread.”

This short story follows Rémi (Pablo Pauly) who is in the early stages of a relationship with Vanessa (Edith Le Merdy). He loves Vanessa, and she feels the same for him, but there is one problem preventing them from moving forward with their new-found love. Like unleavened bread, he is failing to rise to the occasion… in one vital area.

This was a simplistic but clever comedy. The performances were charming, as was the delivery of the dialogue. The character dynamics were normal and the chemistry translates very well onscreen. The script showcases some quick-witted writing that was able to weave some natural humor from a just few characters, in only a handful of minutes. This film felt like it had a mild Wes Anderson inspiration as well. Which is a fantastic thing to pull off as Anderson is one of the best when it comes to witty, organic humor.

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The comedic pacing was perfect, and the characters despite not knowing much about them had a surprising amount of depth. You don’t know anything about these people before the timeline in this story. But from their demeanor’s, their mannerisms, and through the delivery of the dialogue, there is enough to surmise about them to be engaged in. Something that was an added bonus given this was a foreign language film for me.

I usually shy from reviewing foreign films with subtitles because depending the dialect it can be difficult for me to gage emotion. It is not easy to read a performers facial expressions or tone when not knowing the language but with the performances in this film it was not a hindrance in any way. The intention was clear. The comedic delivery was effective in creating some humor, and it results in a fun lighthearted narrative that is easy to connect with.

Overall, I really enjoyed “Caramel Mou” (Unleavened Bread). It was well-crafted, incorporated some fun organic laughs, and showcases some comical writing and strong direction. Loic Gaillard and Wilfried Méance weave a sharp narrative that will leave you with a smile on your face and I am looking forward to seeing where they can go in the comedy genre.