À la folie... pas du tout (2002)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Laetitia Colombani

Writers:

Laetitia Colombani (writer)
Caroline Thivel (writer)

Release Date:

27 March 2002 (France)

Genre:

Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Every love story has two sides.

Plot:

Angelique, a young student, is in love with a married doctor. We see her attempts to make him leave his pregnant wife...

Plot Keywords:

Erotomania | Nonlinear Timeline | Abortion | Murder | Pregnancy

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Audrey Tautou	...	Angélique
Samuel Le Bihan	...	Loïc
Isabelle Carré	...	Rachel
Clément Sibony	...	David
Sophie Guillemin	...	Héloïse
Eric Savin	...	Julien
Michèle Garay	...	Claire Belmont
Élodie Navarre	...	Anita
Catherine Cyler	...	Jeanne
Mathilde Blache	...	Léa
Charles Chevalier	...	Arthur
Michael Mourot	...	Jean-Louis, le kiné
Yannick Alnet	...	Jean Timbault
Nathalie Krebs	...	Sonia Jasmin
Sophie Vaslot	...	Mme Dubois-Rollin

Also Known As:

He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some obsessive behavior.

Runtime:

92 min | UK:95 min | Argentina:95 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:U | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Denmark:A | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Bordeaux, Gironde, France

Company:

Cofimage 12

Movie Connections:

References 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (1967)

Soundtrack:

Tango de la pasion

A flower loosing its petals!!

I would first like to start this review with a warning. This is not a romantic comedy, as you would probably presume by looking at the cover of this box. That is what I thought when I first discovered this 'gem' of a film. I picked it up to enjoy with my wife, and strangely, I found myself enjoying it more than her.

Without giving too much away (or more than already has by others), this is a twisted story where we, as viewers, have the opportunity to see the plot unfold from both of our main characters. Audrey Tautou takes a devilishly good turn from her innocent character in Amelie to play an artist who falls in love … or so we think. As we watch her whirlwind romance with a married man hit their ups and downs like any normal relationship, we get comfortable and stable with the film … then suddenly it changes. We rewind backwards and are shown the story through the eyes of her 'boyfriend'. Our image of this film enhances as we are handed the unexpected.

This was a beautiful film. From not only the cinematography, but also the characters and the story. This was a rarity. It is not often that you find a film of this caliber in today's modern cinema. Normally, films have a very structured story with its theme defined early within the film. Not this masterpiece. If you assume that you know this film prior to finishing it, then you will be the laughing stock of the town. I have seen several films in my lifetime, and I can honestly say that I never saw this story unfolding. I was one of those that expected the beginning to be the entire story … boy, was I surprised.

Tautou carries this film on her bare shoulders. She gives a stunning performance as a woman with a heart full of love for a man that she encounters. Her turn from Amelie proves that she is a very versatile actor.

She emotionally pulls you from your seat and glues you to the screen. Add to this the sheer brilliance of the story; with all of its twists and turns, and powerful cast that only accentuates Tautou's absurdity only helps propel this story from average to amazing.

This is one of those films that I can watch time and time again without it loosing its appeal. I would suggest it for anyone that has ever had a secret admirer. For anyone that has obsessed over anyone from afar, this is the film for you. A-la Sliding Doors, this film was impressive.

Grade: ***** out of *****