From my favorite movies..

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

I enjoyed this film. I'm not a French speaker, but much preferred the original title to the translation which comes across as trite 'Love at First Fight', when it is a much more subtle film.The film begins in an off-beat manner, but its loose structure works well & the two leads are engaging. It's a romantic drama without being sentimental. I liked how the gender roles were reversed: Arnaud, a young carpenter, is sensitive & physically slight in contrast to the muscular, taciturn Madeleine, who frequently lashes out when frustrated. It reminded me of 'Betty Blue' about two very different people falling in love.Arnaud appears 'weak', timid & a conformist. The film begins with him working for the family business, following his father's death. The suggestion is that he is only too aware of his circumstances & not through choice (doing one's duty, being responsible, living day by day) in contrast to Madeleine who has dropped out of college.The two are brought together by the fight, & Arnaud's clear fascination for the oddball Madeleine.Ironically, it is Arnaud who prospers at the military boot camp (Second Act), where his quiet strength, caring nature & ability to work with others wins the confidence of the officers. Madeleine's brusque superiority & macho attitude alienates others instead. The army is, in fact, a substitute family unit & family sometimes means putting others before oneself.The major turning point in the film occurs when Madeleine lashes out at Arnaud during an orientation exercise (symbolic perhaps as she is losing her bearings) & he storms off & does not retaliate (unlike their first encounter).Lost in the forest, Arnaud reveals himself to be a bit of a quiet rebel , someone who masks his desperation. He has his own life philosophy (contrasting with Madeleine's doom-laden theories) which enables him to survive: that rebelling is pointless because sometimes there is nothing you can do (the coffin he built for his father & bureaucracy, the opening scene). This revelation breaks the ice between Madeleine & him so that she can lower her guard & reveal her emotional side.The off-beat nature of this film is frequently provided by the eccentric behaviour of the anti-heroine Madeleine, like the bizarre present she brings to Arnaud's mother.I liked how the end of the film (like a sci-fi film) drew together themes (Madeleine's belief in an impending Armageddon). It was original & believable.Excellent performances, Kevin Azais (reminiscent of Kevin McKidd in looks) captures both his quiet strength & vulnerability whilst Adele Haenel perhaps has a more challenging role. Madeleine appears 'one-note' but has to reveal inner confusion & insecurity. I thought the final scene was excellent. Madeleine is the one who appears 'shy', her posture says it all, the self-conscious way she stands as if no longer in control of what is happening to her: which is what being in love is. about.

Starring Adele Haenel and Kevin AzaisWritten by Thomas Cailley and Claude Le PapeDirected by Thomas CailleyIt's a while since I've watched a foreign subtitled movie and this is one of those hidden gems that you sometimes find on the TV listings.It's a boy meets girl romance with a difference. It's quirky, wonderfully understated and quite mesmerizing to watch. This is a gentle film without any big plots or car chases but I really enjoyed it. It's well written with a nice touch of humour throughout.Good film.8/10

I don't even know how much this film falls under the "rom-com" category, although it is classified as one. There are comic elements as much as in real life, so nothing that emphasized or exaggerated. The guy's crush on the girl is evident pretty soon, because he takes every chance he gets to be in her company. The girl on the other hand is cold towards him and understandably so, since they met on bad terms (hence the English translation of the title, love at first fight). The girl is a cold person in general, at least until you get to know her better. I don't think it was actually love at first fight. But I do think they were interested in one another when the fight was sprung onto them. It was both exciting and humiliating (mostly for the guy). I think he was preoccupied with thoughts of the girl because it was a weird and uncommon experience for him. She intrigued him. And so when the girl's parents hired the guy to build them a shed next to their house, it was an irresistible opportunity to observe the 'eccentric' girl and get closer to her. Honestly, the girl had issues with anger management, she felt self-entitled and was downright mean sometimes. Stubborn, also. I like that she 'took no sh*t' and it was admirable how persistent she was in learning survival. She was preparing herself in case of a world crisis. And it's not even 'in case' anymore. It's just a matter of when and what will come first, and will it catch us in our lifetime. Although the boot camp was a joke in opposition to what she came for, the concept of something like a survival course attracted me. The movie also shows us how dangerous living alone can be, and how hard "passing the time" can be, unless you're with someone you're attracted to :) There was only one intimate scene and one sudden kiss some time before it. They never became a giggly and gooey couple, it's not in their nature. I think that the guy is tougher than he seems and the girl is 'softer' than she seems. They just take a different approach towards things. The guy is more easy going and passionate, he has his head in the clouds and is easily influenced. He's a nice guy. The girl keeps to herself and is more goal-orientated, and in doing so is passive in other aspects of life. She has a 'dont mess with me' aura to her and she aspires to be tough. In my opinion, they complement each other well. They bring out the stuff that's less noticeable in one another. They went through some phases of negligence and got burned. Literally. But in the end, there's no denying they both had a lot of fun and learned some good lessons. French films hardly ever disappoint. Something worth noting is that this film has an original soundtrack and it's pretty cool. I'd recommend this movie if you're looking for something 'light'. As in, not so extreme that you'll cry your eyes out, or be filled with hate and fear, and not so sappy that it kills brain cells. 10 - 3 because the acting wasn't that good. That's usually how it is with two people who like each other. It's mostly them goggling at one another. I didn't feel that much passion between them. The culmination of course was their scene of intimacy. I have to admit it got my heart beating faster and some other things haha I'm sorry for constantly referring to them as 'the guy' and 'the girl', I forgot their names and didn't think it would be that significant. That's that.

I much enjoyed this comedy drama movie. Mostly because of the convincing characters, especially the gal with men manners but so glamorous from a certain point of view. I loved her character. A Young woman in search of herself. Some exquisite sequences when the Young folks are voluntarily drafted. A pretty good try as a first long time feature for the Young director.Made on locations in the South of France, at least I guess. A movie that doesn't tire you at all. No length. You have the feeling that it only lasts one hour.A story that makes you think about the meaning of life, as the characters do for themselves. A film that also gives you a good feeling, a magic one towards nature. That's the way I felt this feature. But maybe I am wrong, maybe this was not the true message.