The Fairy (2011)

This movie will not suit everyone. It is a great example of what movies on disc and cable TV have brought in terms of breadth to the average movie watcher's viewing options. No longer are we hostage to the Hollywood (or Bollywood) blockbuster. Quite the contrary. If you look at what you can stream on Netflix, you are more likely to end up with a brainy documentary or a quirky foreign comedy than an action-packed drama with more guns than roses. This is an almost silly French-Belgian film that is surprisingly enjoyable to watch. One of my cousins said something very insightful about French films and I am going to repeat it--again. There is no point to this movie. If you are waiting for a lesson learned, you will be disappointed. The story here is about someone who is living below the mean, clerking at night in a low budget hotel in Le Havre. He meets 'the fairy', who offers him three wishes. Two of which he is able to come up with immediately, and one of which he saves. She seemingly grants him the two wishes, and so he is ready to leave his job and his old life to pursue her. Anytime you are seeking a magical creature, you are likely to be subjected to the improbable, and this film is no exception--the scenes are simple, the humor is slapstick and dependent both on timing and a suspension of belief--but if you can manage that (and it is asking a lot), it is fun to watch the couple romp to the end.