Far from being your typical Romcom, this joint Belgian/Canadian production set in Paris is imaginative and quirky. When the eponymous struggling actress (Monia Chokri) realises she's never going to 'make it', and her 35th birthday, the expiry date for actresses, is just days away, she resolves to bring the situation to an end. Literally.
Emma starts looking into suicide methods (ideally entirely painless and mess free of course) and organising her death. Which includes arranging her funeral. But she doesn't bank on eccentric undertaker Alex (Fabrice Adde) falling in love with her. His attentions, initially unwelcome, add to the confusion and comedy, not least with the hearse lovemobile.
The director, Nicole Palo, describes it as 'a feelgood movie about feeling bad', and that's as good a summary as any. In addition to the subject matter she lifts the movie out of the ordinary by employing a mix of styles, reflecting Emma's filmic expectations, so there's a passage shot as an old silent movie, another as a musical, adding to the charmingly odd feel of the film. Both leads are excellent, especially the wide eyed Chokri, and good to see Jim Morrison making a return appearance in Père Lachaise! Jim the cat is a bit of a star too.
It's not without flaws, and resorts to the occasional cliché, but Emma Peeters is that rare thing, a romantic comedy that surprises. Great fun and highly recommended.
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