This gentle French comedy happens to be the sixteenth feature that Audrey Tautou has starred in since he breakout role in Jeune-Pierre Gaunet's 2001hit Amelie. There are two remarkable points regarding that statement: one is that despite the eleven years difference, Tautou still manages to carry off exactly the same youthful appearance; the second is that although she's a familiar face to English-speaking audiences, many of her French-speaking titles don't get nearly the amount of publicity they deserve. And this one is no different.

Finding Mr Right can be a real tricky business for most women; the upshot is however, that once found, you know you're on to a keeper. Nathalie (Tautou)knows this feeling well; she's met the perfect man in François (Pio Marmaï), who just so happens to be everything she wants in a partner.

The pair are blissfully happy together; that is until François is involved in a tragedy that leaves Nathalie all on her own again.

To compensate for this big hole in her life, Nathalie throws herself fully into her work. This is good news for her boss, who just so happens to have a huge crush on her, and he's not prepared to have a small thing like being already married get in his way. But she's simply not interested in him. In fact, it's fair to say, that Nathalie isn't interested in anyone.

Three years pass and she still finds herself on her own. And then, one day, something just happens between her and Swedish work colleague Markus (François Damiens), completely out of the blue. He is an unlikely suitor in almost every way, and yet from that moment on, Nathalie begins to feel that maybe she doesn't have to spend the rest of her life alone after all.

I refuse to do any more work until someone returns my rubber band ball.

David Foenkinos makes a confident directorial debut with this title; he's probably helped greatly however, by the fact that he wrote the novel on which his film is based. At first it seems as if he's about to present a well-trodden story of lost love and yet he skilfully adds something unique and surprising to the mix along the way.

To a certain extent you get what you pay for with Tautou; she is the definition of charming in every single way, and she doesn't disappoint here. What's impressive however, is the performance by Damiens; male characters in this scenario are so often portrayed as stale stereotypes, adding nothing new to the formula. Damiens however, manages to deliver a quite remarkably touching role that tugs so delicately on the heart strings. As Markus, he brings a character from the background to the foreground with a delightful air of subtlety.

Together with Tautou, Damiens creates an on-screen relationship that is touching, tender and sweetly romantic. At no point does it ever feel sickly however; the pair also bring out a charming sense of humour in each other, which is nothing short of adorable.

Foenkinos also manages to create a rom-com that is quintessentially French, whilst playing very gently around with the form the film takes. Some of the editing for example, although subtle in technique, still manages to punctuate certain scenes beautifully.

Although this is very much an Audrey Tautou film, the fact that it's subtitled is likely to put a lot of – let's face it – ignoramuses off. But it's their loss, as they will be missing out on a truly wonderful gem.

This is just the kind of shot in the heart the rom-com genre so desperately needs.