Image: Netflix
Before returning with the fourth season of Lupin and an Extraction Shared Universe collection, Omar Sy is on the forefront of 1 anticipated entry for Netflix’s 2025 French lineup: the slick rom-com French Lover. However must you watch it?
The premise for French Lover reeks of Notting Hill: Abel Camara (Omar Sy) is each a French famous person and a playboy, who’s coping with a non-public disaster after his ex very publicly dumps him for an additional man proper earlier than the premiere of his new blockbuster. Whereas he’s on edge, he visits an elegant bar in downtown Paris and has a tough (some would possibly say impolite) first encounter with waitress Marion (Sara Giraudeau), who’s getting ready to a messy divorce and is there to earn sufficient cash to maintain her residence. Marion has no time for her methods and, berated by her boss, quits very quickly. Feeling sorry for the state of affairs, Abel insists on making it as much as her… And that’s how French Lover begins, which is coincidentally the corny fragrance model Abel makes ads for.
On sure initiatives, Netflix offers a shot to first-time creators or administrators, and that holds true right here, with Nina Rives helming a high-end film with flashy, large-scale manufacturing values and a Dolby Atmos combine in addition. She is surrounded by tried-and-true expertise, akin to Hugo Gélin, who made waves together with his personal high-concept rom-com Love at Second Sight and acts as an government producer and inventive shepherd on the undertaking; and Noémie Saglio, a comedy veteran identified by Netflix followers for co-creating Plan Coeur/The Hook-Up Plan. The trio delivers a really earnest tackle the style: French Lover doesn’t deceive the viewers with both raunchy comedy or overly dramatic twists. Loosely based mostly on the little-known Israeli collection A Very Vital Individual, it focuses on considerably aspirational romanticism and is decided to make the chemistry between its leads work, simply as its characters do.
French Lover is aware of its audience, and in the end delivers the products: as Abel Camara, Sy is making the most effective use of his appeal and million-euro smile, in addition to his easygoing demeanor and wit, to eliminate an opponent. All qualities that helped make Lupin into a worldwide hit. Enjoying an apparent “take” on himself and his A-list atmosphere, Rives makes use of the character to take us behind the scenes of the glamorous world of French (non-indie) cinema, its awards, its media appearances, its tabloid fodder, and tutti quanti. Because it accepts the truth of this character simply because it does with Hollywood stars, French Lover just isn’t right here to offer slicing commentary and even jabs on the trade. As an alternative, it makes use of Marion and your entire expertise of Sara Giraudeau to floor its glamorous universe and lend some semblance of honesty to its relationship.
Sara Giraudeau and Omar Sy on set. (Cr : Netflix)
At its finest, even utilizing all of the tropes of the style – together with a waltz of cumbersome exes on either side – French Lover affords a two-hander between two comedians with reverse talents, which attracts. Extra often called the feminine lead in The Bureau/Le Bureau des Légendes, Giraudeau feeds no-nonsense, wise however trustworthy beats and comedian rhythms to Sy’s uncooked charisma. As Abel unfolds like a twister and considerably thrusts Marion into the highlight, the most effective scenes of the film are prolonged squabbles of dialogue the place each characters and comedians transcend the superficial “mismatched, likelihood relationship” premise to delve right into a heartwarming dynamic.
That isn’t to say that every little thing works, in fact. French Lover, so as to put on its Richard Curtis-bred coronary heart on its sleeve, asks us many occasions to droop our credulity with a collection of unintended encounters – and accidents, full cease. Whereas plot holes don’t abound, a few of the secondary characters are barely current and don’t present perception into the chaotic relationship lifetime of Marion and Abel earlier than their assembly. After a primary half that dwells on the chaos, this doesn’t assist issues in its second half, as obstacles and tumult are each totally anticipated and never sharply written sufficient to interact the viewers. If French Lover sustains its appeal all through, it additionally lacks a little bit of identification by the tip, and disappoints by letting go of attention-grabbing crimson herrings, such because the competitors between Abel and one other star, who occurs to have ended up together with his ex-girlfriend. Nonetheless, will probably be attention-grabbing to see if Netflix France doubles up on any such honest-to-goodness romantic comedies with different initiatives.
MVP of French Lover
Agnès Hurstel as Estelle
As we talked about, a few of the supporting forged just isn’t rather well served by the writing. Alban Ivanov, as Abel’s finest buddy and day-one believer, Sami barely registers, however another characters fare higher. As Estelle, Marion’s sister and a married lawyer, Agnès Hurstel flexes her comedy chops, honed over years of stand-up, in addition to within the little-seen French present Jeune et Goliard. As her character will get uncharacteristically attractive on the sight of Abel Camara, Hurstel infuses the proceedings with snark and fairly a couple of laughs.
Verdict of French Lover
A tremendous, slickly directed rom-com elevated by a snug tempo and deal with on the style. The performances make this undertaking stand out, because the plot will get a bit of distracted by its relationship drama.
What did you consider Netflix France’s rom-com? Tell us within the feedback!
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