Fresh from mainstream success with Heartbreaker, Romain Duris flexes himself further than ever before in this extraordinary portrait of, as the French title has it, a man who wants to live his life. Sharp, dynamic and unbearably emotional, this taut drama is the real deal.

This weekend sees the nationwide release of Potiche, a glorious French farce from the totally irrepressible François Ozon which stars legendary screen couple Catherine Deneuve (swoon) and Gérard Depardieu (double swoon). We caught up with M Ozon at London’s Institut Français for a cheeky little tête à tête…

Potiche is the French word for a vase or ornament of superficial beauty and little real value. Idiomatically, it refers to a trophy wife – a pretty, inoffensive girl who’ll sit on her shelf and not cause any trouble. Mischievous satirical prankster François Ozon directs the magnificent Catherine Deneuve in a hilarious and savvy tale of one trophy wife who simply won’t stay in the cabinet.