"Moscow, Belgium" finds flash of diamonds amid life's drudgery

The fatigue and exasperation expressed in the opening shot of this somber Flemish romantic comedy sets a comfortably ironic tone that reflects the drudging reality of life. But even the most mundane lives occasionally sparkle with moments of exhilaration, and so does "Moscow, Belgium."

The first thing we see is the weary face of a haggard but still pretty 41-year-old as she blankly walks the aisles of a grocery store with a young daughter and younger son in tow. This is Matty (Barbara Sarafian), a postal worker in a suburb of Ghent (Moscow, or "Moscou" in Flemish) whose mundane, vaguely depressing routine is about to get more interesting.

Pulling out of the parking lot (a little too fast), she bumps into a truck (a little too big), thus meeting a possible destiny amid a hail of mutual insults. The truck driver starts screaming first, but Matty holds her own against Johnny (Jurgen Delnaet), a bullying 29-year-old whose bluster may not be as fierce as he'd like it to seem.

It's not obvious at first — certainly not to Matty or Johnny — but an awkward romance is in store for these two troubled souls.

Matty's too busy with her mom routine and the emotional baggage of a wayward husband who's having an affair with a much younger woman. So she's astonished by her reluctant response to Johnny's puppyish advances, and somewhat resentful that the reaction betrays such a deep need.

Sarafian is wonderful as a robust yet bruised woman who makes her way as much as she simply takes what is handed her. Her slightly sniveling husband (Johan Heldenbergh) is a passive tug on one side, while Johnny is an aggressive jerk on the other (pun intended).

A dinner-table row between the three is a choice bit of dramatic comedy that's handled with fluency a Hollywood movie would never understand.

Matty's kids are in the background, existing as fully formed and essential guides to the narrative, especially 17-year-old Vera (Anemone Valcke). Her displays of sensibility and imprudence are a mirror image of her mother's.

Those are also qualities that leave us wondering whether Matty ultimately makes the right romantic choice.

Ted Fry: tedfry@hotmail.com