Comme Une Image is one of the best French films of 2004. With a strong script, written by two of its leading actors, Jean-Pierre Bacri and Agnès Jaoui, it is as intelligent as it is refreshingly unpretentious. A French friend (I confess to having no independent knowledge of the French language) explained that the title is from a typical expression a parent might say to a child. To be quiet “like a picture” also implies in the French an association with stillness to wisdom. It comes then as no surprise that the characters with the least to say are not only the most likeable but also the ones from whom the others have the most to learn.

In this glimpse at various relationships, the film centers around the one between the talented and rather chubby, Lolita (Marilou Berry) and her ego driven famous author father, Étienne Cassard (Jean-Pierre Bacri). She desperately seeks approval from this self obsessed man, though not surprisingly, he seems unable to make a gesture of affection to her, despite the fact that he is, himself, quite emotionally dependent on her. None of the characters in Comme Une Image are either all sympathetic or completely deserving of our criticism. They are simply human, with all the flaws and complexities we all suffer from.

The soundtrack supports some subtly beautiful photography and is particularly satisfying to those who can appreciate classical singing as much as rap. All the actors should be applauded for terrific performances and creating completely believable characters an audience can be both interested in as well as care about. Jean-Pierre Bacri and Agnès Jaoui gave themselves the best characters, of course, and they both dominate the film, giving superb performances. Comme Une Image is witty, intelligent and possesses a certain feel good factor that might even inspire us to take a closer look at our own superficial side.