A Different Woman

Popular novelist Boissard ( Cecile ) conveys an upbeat feminist message that is unabashedly sentimental. Severine at 18 renounced her singing career to marry the charming, though boorishly conventional Didier, who says she is frigid. Now in her 40s, the tremulous Severine finds herself a grandmother, divorced and adrift. Is it ``too soon for menopause, or too late for pleasure?'' She feels lucky to win the immediate devotion of attractive 50-ish Vincent, a TV talk show host and producer, who calls her his ``castaway.'' As a newly independent woman, Severine tries to enjoy her body. She buys lacy lingerie, in spite of the jeers of her gruff boss Maryse, a hardcore manhater. By resuming her music in a successful comeback role as the mythical, other-worldly Ondine (who dares to feel both pain and love for an earthling), Severine saves herself and, unexpectedly, Vincent. This fleeting tale shimmers with delicate insights about the sexes and idyllic/erotic interludes. (Apr.)