An Exercise In Nonsense

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

This movie I would recommend. I watched it on the Tuesday, right after Thanksgiving Monday in Canada. It was pouring with rain outside in the middle of autumn but this movie seemed to warm me up - even if it was only by the imaginary connection that I had to these film-screen fake actors on the big screen. It did not seem to bother me that I was connecting with the people in the movie. Instead it brought me a gentle-ness of being. The story-line is a very uncomplicated one and indicated to me and even the most timid of individuals can find their romantic better half. This movie is slightly about mental illness and at the same time it gets contrasted with such a logic and socialization that the mental illness like symptoms seem to disappear like the rainbows after the rain. This movie is very hopeful and optimistic, something which I perhaps needed after a week of survival manual labour and tired employment days.

ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS is a quiet gem - - a joy to be savored throughout nearly all of its brief 79-minute span. The entire cast is likable, including those in supporting or even minor roles. There are no bad guys, which is refreshing in itself. The two leads (Isabelle Carré and Benoît Poelvoorde) are superb, and the four chocolate factory employees are wonderfully true to life. My only reservations would be that bizarre, incongruous scene with Angelique's mother, which seems to be accidentally spliced in from some other movie's cutting room floor and (more damaging still) the unsatisfying conclusion. I won't throw in a spoiler here, but in my opinion, there was no reason to go beyond the final, sweet reconciliation and show . . . well, everything that comes next. Far better left to the imagination. Take out those two egregious miscalculations, and you have a well-nigh perfect little film.

Quite cute romantic comedy that manages to overcome being predicable in the broad sense with lovely performances, and a quirky sensibility that allows for smaller surprises within the established rom-com format. Benoit Poelvorode (in a 180 degree turn from his famous, chilling performance in "Man Bites Dog") and Isabelle Carre are both, in different ways, suffering from terrible shyness and fear of emotions and attention. Yet, when she comes to work at his chocolate company personality and fate keep conspiring to force them together, in spite of their fears. This has a few laugh out loud moments, and lots of smile inducing ones. In the end, it doesn't add up to more than what it is; a good hearted romantic comedy done with expertise, but in a world full of painful and dead rom-coms, this is s very nice surprise.

Angélique (Isabelle Carré) is an expert chocolatier, the woman behind the legendary The Hermit who conquered all in the choco stakes. She is also cripplingly shy, and uses various ploys to hide her true nature. She gets job as a sales rep at a small chocolate makers, and embarks on a haphazard romance with the equally shy Jean-René (Benoît Poelvoorde), her erstwhile boss, all the while saving the company from bankruptcy.The film works because Carré and Poelvoorde are perfectly matched, two hapless souls inadvertently thrown together by the fates. The film does not shock or surprise, instead the satisfaction is in seeing the usual romcom set-ups pulled off with aplomb. A mix-up at the hotel sees the couple go to extremes to avoid sharing a double bed. Once love has been established a farcical car chase ensues to bring all the principals together. A psychiatrist plies Jean-René with cues to reveal his inner thoughts. At one point, he ironically repeats his father's mantra about hoping nothing happens to us. His tears seem genuine and a rare moment of depth in what is shallow but well-executed fun.The only jarring points are when the film tries too hard to be cute, the one song in the middle by Angélique being the example that comes to mind. These points ripple rather than jar, and on the whole this is wholesome, lighthearted fare that will bring a smile to you face.