Two former acquaintances bump into each other by chance on a Parisian street. Fanny (Lou de Laâge) is a married woman who works in an art auction house. Alain (Niels Schneider) is a former schoolmate turned professional writer, who openly admits to having a crush on Fanny all through high school. Despite her marriage to high-flying financial broker Jean (Melvil Poupaud), Fanny is tempted to start spending time with Alain – and infidelity soon attracts.

A French drama about a marital affair is hardly cause to sit up and pay attention, but in this case the film is written and directed by Woody Allen. It is his first foreign language picture, and also his 50th directorial work overall. That he continues to produce new work well into old age is nothing short of remarkable; when reviewing his previous film Rifkin’s Festival (2020) I pondered whether it would be his final work. Here we are, though, three years later and the now 88-year-old has not only made a new film it is also pretty great.

It cannot be avoided that Coup de Chance is playing with stereotypes. The quality and enjoyment come not from the story, but how it is told. There is a lovely sort of literary sensibility to the characters and the dialogue – despite the French setting, there is a very familiar kind of New Yorker tone and aesthetic. You can take Allen out of New York, but you can’t… and so on and so forth. There is a pleasure in the film’s odd little idiosyncrasies, such as Jean’s odd fixation on an elaborate model train set or the malicious gossip among the Parisian elites. The performances are marvellous, particularly Lou de Laâge’s turn as Fanny. Allen always seems to write strong, interesting female characters – it is one of the more paradoxical elements about him as an artist, given his long tendency to pair young female characters with older male ones. Laâge plays her role with depth, charm, and a wonderful uncertainty.

By situating the story among Paris’ rich elite society, Coup de Chance is afforded the opportunity to dress and set itself in ravishing luxury. The costuming is beautiful – not something one usually notices in a contemporary romance – and the settings and location reek with wealth. Such luxury is presented without comment by Allen; I cannot tell if he is subtly criticising such upper class people or if I have brought that distaste to the film by myself.

There is a casual blend of genres at play here. Ostensibly a drama, there are light moments of humour scattered throughout. Later plot developments shift the film towards being a thriller, but still that lightness of touch remains. There is nothing jaw-dropping or innovative going on here, simply a master filmmaker doing what he does. By the end I feel I’d been told a warm short story, with enjoyable characters and a satisfying conclusion. If you already have an opinion on Allen’s work, this is unlikely to change it. If you are a long-time viewer of his films, rest assured that this is one of the good ones.