The 2001 romantic comedy “Amélie’’ made French actress Audrey Tautou an international star. It also typecast her. She’s broken out of the mold several times, most notably with the 2006 thriller “The Da Vinci Code.’’ But mostly she’s been cast as Amélie-like gamines in generic love stories. The latest is “Delicacy,’’ with Tautou as Nathalie, a 30-something Parisian executive whose husband dies in an auto accident.
The tragedy provides the chance for her married boss, Charles (Bruno Todeschini), to come on to her. He wines and dines her at a fancy restaurant, but she tells him right away that she’s not romantically interested. Then, surprisingly to the audience and the characters, she impulsively plants a big French kiss on Markus (François Damiens), a bland co-worker from Sweden.
“Delicacy,’’ directed by the brothers David and Stéphane Foenkinos, continues in familiar fashion, as Markus tries to win over Nathalie, whose grandmother is the only person to see any merit in him as a soul mate. Tautou fits the role perfectly, and why shouldn’t she, considering how many times she’s played similar women?
The movie is a pleasant way to spend time in the dark, especially for Francophiles, but it won’t leave any lasting impression.