Oscar-winning director Claude Lelouch is renowned for creating dazzling romances told with daring and extravagant imagery. Chance or Coincidence will not disappoint anybody looking for more of the same. The lush, lavish visuals of the first 15 minutes alone put Moulin Rouge to shame.

Lelouch soon imposes a sense of rhythm and regulation, however, and throughout the film audacious set pieces, including exuberant musical numbers, segue into exquisitely fashioned vignettes. The range of styles is captured beautifully by Pierre-William Glenn, one of Europe's most distinguished cinematographers.

The visual grandeur and global sweep of the movie counterpoint the very simple tale it depicts. While recovering from a shattering relationship, Miriam (Alessandra Martines), a semi-retired ballerina, encounters the enigmatic Pierre (Pierre Arditi). He is funny, thoughtful, hugely charismatic and - there's always a catch - an art forger. Pierre creates 'newly discovered' masterpieces and sells them for wildly exorbitant sums. Lelouch follows their relationship and its consequences, lacing the cocktail of comedy and romance with a measure of tragedy to ensure there's no saccharine aftertaste.

The compelling plot-line, abundance of interesting characters and strong acting talent guarantee that this isn't just another piece of cinema du look. Lelouch's wife, Alessandra Martines, is particularly effective as she conveys Miriam's joie de vie, raw sensuality and conversely, the vulnerability this necessarily exposes.

Alongside the director's other successes, most notably Un Homme et une Femme (1966) and Toute une Vie (1974), this is one of those rare, modern movies which demands to be defined by adjectives from another age of cinema. Epithets like captivating, charming, and magical can all be dusted off and applied to this unashamedly touching tale of loss, love and hope in the modern world.

Gavin Collinson