Ayckbourn's play might have made frothy fun of this comedie humaine, on screen this feels a poor, airless thing.

This French film based on a play by Scarborough’s finest Sir Alan Ayckbourn is best described as a little bit pedestrian.

Quiet desperation is an emotion you’ll probably feel as you wait for the movie to end.

The theatrical, colour-coded sets, graceful camerawork and scene-bridging snowfall motif create a quasi-fairytale feel. But it’s the beautifully tuned ensemble acting that infuses this funny, sad treat with real humanist heft.

No one would argue that this slight six-hander is one of Resnais's greatest movies, but it's far from an embarrassment, and even its strained comic business is enclosed within a prevailing atmosphere of wistful resignation.

Neither comic, nor tragic, nor tragicomic, the movie manages to be entirely inconsequential, gesturing at emotional truths which it is quite unable to embody.

Although now well into his eighties, Resnais brings an elegance and lightness of touch to this romantic roundelay – it’s not the most profound musing on life and love, but it’s eminently watchable.

Beautifully judged ensemble pieces.

An insightful reflection on relationships and solitude.

Resnais and his superb cast have poured their hearts into this film adaptation and anyone seeking mature entertainment should search for this gem.