Movie stats:
Released 2011 (USA)
French, with English subtitles
Director – Jean-Pierre Ameris
Stars – Benoit Poelvoorde & Isabelle Carre
Plot Summary:
Angelique (Isabelle Carre) is a woman suffering from severe
social anxiety disorder. When she takes a job at a chocolatier’s, she meets
Jean-Rene (Benoit Poelvoorde), a man who sweats profusely at the mere thought
of making a connection with another human being. The two fall in love over
their confections, but can two such emotionally stunted people truly work
together as a couple?
Bad Stuff:
This is a personal pet peeve. I have a hard time believing
stories where people fall in love in a very short amount of time (days) when
they know virtually nothing about one another. At best, it doesn’t seem like a
very genuine connection to me. In this particular movie, other than a few
awkward, stilted conversations, Angelique and Jean-Rene have little contact
with one another before they allegedly fall in love. That’s tough for me to
swallow.
Also, there is a lot of talk about chocolate. It made me
salivate and crave fine chocolates. I suppose that’s not really the movie’s
fault.
Good Stuff:
Despite the fact that I was casting a side-eye at all this
sudden “love,” I found myself rooting for the romance. I wanted Angelique and
Jean-Rene to make it. Both main actors were fantastic. The characters felt very
genuine to me. They weren’t overstated. Both of them were just so endearing
that it was hard not to fall in love with them myself.
Additionally, I felt that it was a very loving, careful
portrayal of social anxiety disorders. It was very straightforward, lacking in
melodrama.
The ending was too cute for words.
The Verdict:
Who am I kidding? I’m a huge sap. I loved this movie. Is it a masterpiece? Definitely not. It’s a feel-good
movie, perhaps just the right thing for one of those times when you’re feeling
down. However, I will warn you that it’s very, very sweet. If you’re not into
that sort of thing, don’t bother with this one.
2 comments:
This sounds delightful. Perhaps I will look it up myself.
"Delightful" is an excellent way to describe this movie.
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