I have to admit that I once turned off a Christophe Honoré film (Ma Mère) long before it ended, and I have been skeptical of his work ever since. But I do have a bit of a thing for musicals, especially those diverting from what we're used to, and I therefore went into the filmmaker's latest, an unconventional musical titled Love Songs (literally translated from the French Les Chansons d'Amour), with modestly open arms. Plus, I realize that as a critic I need not see every film made by every director (I have not seen Dans Paris, Honoré's film between Ma Mère and Love Songs, for instance), but I need to at least give some well-regarded filmmakers a second chance.

Unfortunately, Love Songs didn't really do it for me, either. As I said, it is a musical, and not in the big and lavish Hollywood sense. Yet not really in the all-singing sense of Jacques Demy's films, either, despite the many comparisons being made between Love Songs and Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Sure, Honoré's film features songs sung in a similarly recitative style, and yes, there is the referential connection of Love Songs co-starring Chiara Mastroianni and Cherbourg starring her mother, Catherine Deneuve. But the dialogue in Love Songs is primarily spoken non-musically, and the film would actually have worked, and been better off, in my opinion, if it didn't feature any of its 14 songs at all.

The French are in love with happy endings. French cinema is classic for ending their films relating to love with disastrous, heart wrenching break ups. The lovers have passion and excitement, but never quite live happily ever after. Happily ever after is a definite go to in American cinema -- sometimes a requirement. Often times, films are rewritten or never made because they do not obtain those hopeful and uplifting endings -- especially in matters of love. Are the French following in the footsteps of America's audience-approved endings?

The answer seems to be yes. French box office charts are giving the number one slot to romantic comedies with those familiar 'love conquers all' endings. Pierre Salvadori is heading French box offices with his film Hors de prix (Priceless) starring Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh -- a spin on America's Pretty Woman.

Why the change? Many changes have been happening in French cinema this year. France has been playing with war action films, 3D animation as well as relieving themselves of a snobby filmmaker attitude and connecting more with pleasing audiences. Some films are also dealing with the rising prejudices existing in France with the film Mauvaise foi (Bad Faith) -- where an Arab/Jewish couple's religions may cause the demise of their relationship. The director Roschdy Zem hopes to raise tolerance for those involved in the growing violence between the two groups using humor and film.

So are classic French love stories long gone? One of my favorites, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, is devastating yet equally yummy in its story telling. The young lovers are torn apart by war as the possible defamation of an unwed pregnant woman throws her into the arms of another man -- it's so sad but so good. For now, French audiences are approving this new found happy ending; but I'm sure there are still plenty of French elitist filmmakers ready to rebel against the 'love conquers all' fairytales.