Julie Mauduech co-stars as Lola, one-third of romantic trio that includes her two clueless lovers Jamal (Hubert Kounde), a wealthy African Muslim, and Felix (Kassovitz), a Jewish bike messenger. Lola finds out she is pregnant, but the problem is that she doesn't know which of the men in her life is the father. Felix reacts by taking off and pouting over the fact that Lola has been unfaithful, while Jamal attempts to rise to the occasion and take on the responsibility of being father. Eventually, Felix decides to try and win Lola back, but Jamal isn't having it. Soon both men are acting out the role of father-to-be as best they can, and an odd relationship begins to form as all three move in together.

Café au Lait is not a great film, but it is a good film, with some great moments. When Felix takes Lola and Jamal home to meet his family, you see Kassovitz at his best, as a writer, director and actor. The biggest weakness is that while individual scenes are strong, the story isn't always that well balanced at times. Kassovitz has a few too many supporting characters and subplots, which get lost in the shuffle, and at times slow the movie down. Still, the film manages to work, primarily because of the solid cast who give wonderful performances, especially Kassovitz and Kounde who share a great antagonistic chemistry. Mauduech also gives a great performance, but as her character is written, it can be difficult to have sympathy for her.

Despite some shortcomings, Café au Lait is a good film that relies on subtle comedy more than sitcom style humor and broad gags to capture the laughs. Since a vast majority of domestic romantic comedies go for cheap laughs and cater audiences with lower IQs, it's refreshing to see a film that assumes that people over the age of 16 may be watching.

Video:
Café au Lait is presented in 4x3 letterbox format.

Audio:
Café au Lait is presented in 5.1 Surround Sound in French with English subtitles.

Extras:
There are no bonus features.

Final Thoughts:
I first saw Café au Lait when it played theatrically in the states over a dozen years ago. I was surprised how well it held up over the years, and actually found it to be better than I remember.