"Why am I not smoking? I'm French!"

An overbearing, successful author runs roughshod over the people in his orbit in Look At Me, a wise and funny comedy by Agnès Jaoui, who might be Woody Allen if he were French and female and still making good movies.

Chief among his victims is his insecure, overweight daughter Lolita, (Marilou Berry) desperate for his attention, which she only gets when he’s telling her to lose weight. He sits next to her at lunch, not to be close, but to avoid looking across the table at her. Co-writer Jean-Pierre Bacri plays the arrogant writer without a trace of sentiment or sympathy, yet without turning him into an overt villain; his misdeeds stem from insensitivity rather than cruelty.

But while he’s the worst of the lot, few of the characters get away clean. Lolita, raging against her father and pursuing her thoughtless boyfriend, ignores a far worthier young man. Sylvia, her voice teacher (played by writer/director Jaoui) is ready to write Lolita off until she realizes who her father is. A touch of fame changes Sylvia’s author-husband with remarkable speed.

Jaoui and Bacri have crafted a film that shows us how easily we slip into the pattern of treating acquaintances better than those who are dearest to us. In the end we are left wondering not only why the characters can’t seem to look at each other, but why they can’t really look at themselves.

Gorilla Pants rating: 3 out of 4 bananas