Dry Cleaning (1997)

Billows of hot steam come out of more than the presses in Miou-Miou's little dry cleaning shop in this romantic potboiler. Allegory abounds as Nicole (Miou-Miou) and her husband Jean-Marie (Charles Berling) try to "iron" the ennui out their flagging relationship by taking in the dangerously sexual Loic (Stanislas Merhar), an unfeeling sexual predator who seduces both parties (there is an explicit bisexual coupling near the end that might not have made it past the American ratings board intact). As with many European dramas, the emotional momentum is slow-building, but once Dry Cleaning reaches its point of no return for the characters, the viewer is hooked. The ending seems rushed and inconclusive, but c'est la vie. Miou-Miou, Berling, and Merhar turn in frighteningly realistic performances, and Anne Fontaine's direction is prim and correct, with no margin for error. Merhar won a Cesar Award (the French Oscar) for his performance, and the film was nominated for four others. Francophiles and fans of heavy drama will want to see why. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide