A French Milquetoast's Talent Lights the Fuse of Mischief
Ben BrantleyOctober 21, 2002: Even charming is too weighty a word to describe the wispy appeal of ''Amour,'' the twinkling trinket of a musical from the French pop composer Michel Legrand, which opened last night at the Music Box Theater.
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Certainly none of the vigorous language usually trotted out for song-filled Broadway diversions -- romp, frolic and (heaven forbid) blast -- applies to a Gallic slice of whimsy that seems shaped less to stimulate than to soothe. Staged with artful gentleness by James Lapine, ''Amour'' is a bedtime story for grown-ups. Weighing in at a slender 90 minutes, it is especially suited to grown-ups who like to see lights out before 11.