The irony that the wordless Le Bal was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is perhaps what most distinguishes it. It's far too gimmicky for its own good, taking place in a ballroom as the time period changes occasionally and characters silently meet and interact. It has a small handful of charming moments, but it's a theater piece through and through, not really cinema. For the most part, it's unamusing, exhausting and forgettable.
