Romantics Anonymous (2011)
Sex scene
| Director: | Jean-Pierre Ameris |
| Actors: | Benoit Poelvoorde, Isabelle Carre |
Angélique (Isabelle Carré) is a gifted chocolate-maker whose treats are legendary around town, but her uncontrollable shyness prevents her from acknowledging her talents. Struggling chocolatier Jean-René (Benoît Poelvoorde), who also suffers from a similar case of awkward bashfulness that threatens to drown his company, hires Angelique as his new sales associate. Realising she’s attracted to her boss, Angelique decides to anonymously develop a new line of chocolates to save the company. With the future of the business hanging in the balance, will Angelique and Jean-Rene overcome their limitations and confess their sweet affections for one another? FRENCH LANGUAGE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
| Status: | Normal |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 74mins |
| Origin: | FRANCE |
| Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 |
Uncomfortable together
by Simon Miraudo, 13/02/2012 8:26:00 AM
Those with hearts of stone, read no further. Jean-Pierre Améris' delightful French comedy Romantics Anonymous is about emotional-cripples who find love in one another’s awkward embrace. They’re cutesy. They’re clumsy. They’re also chocolatiers. Seriously, abandon hate, all ye who enter here. The luminous Isabelle Carré stars as Angelique, an uncannily talented chocolate maker who is so paralysed by her emotions, she can’t bear to be acknowledged for her sumptuous creations. Instead, she offloads her chocolates by posing as the delivery girl for their "true" maker: a mountain-bound hermit. When her employer suddenly dies, Angelique applies for a job at a flailing chocolate mill, where she meets the equally uncomfortable Jean-Rene (Benoît Poelvoorde). After a series of miscommunication...
Those with hearts of stone, read no further. Jean-Pierre Améris' delightful French comedy Romantics Anonymous is about emotional-cripples who find love in one another’s awkward embrace. They’re cutesy. They’re clumsy. They’re also chocolatiers. Seriously, abandon hate, all ye who enter here.
The luminous Isabelle Carré stars as Angelique, an uncannily talented chocolate maker who is so paralysed by her emotions, she can’t bear to be acknowledged for her sumptuous creations. Instead, she offloads her chocolates by posing as the delivery girl for their "true" maker: a mountain-bound hermit. When her employer suddenly dies, Angelique applies for a job at a flailing chocolate mill, where she meets the equally uncomfortable Jean-Rene (Benoît Poelvoorde).
After a series of miscommunications – as the French are wont to engage in – this painfully shy woman is hired as a sales rep. Jean-Rene, urged by his psychiatrist to ask someone – anyone! – on a date, randomly poses the offer to Angelique. She, meanwhile, is encouraged by her Emotions Anonymous support group to accept the offer. On and on it goes, with Angelique and Jean-Rene playing commitment-chicken, eventually connecting like they never have with anyone before; two big balls of nerves, eventually finding themselves forced to make the kind of speeches and gestures required of characters in typical rom-coms, but struggling all the while to find the words.
Romantics Anonymous feels like a far less raunchy, but similarly sweet variation on Judd Apatow’s The 40 Year Old Virgin. In and out in under 80 minutes – weirdly, closing with Australia’s own Angus and Julia Stone’s Big Jet Plane – the film’s brevity is a welcome change compared with other recent comedies that go on for an unnecessary extra half hour (Crazy Stupid Love, did you really need that dumb speech at the end?). However, the conflict never really feels insurmountable and the events of the picture not all that memorable; it’s so slight, it makes The Artist seem like it has the gravitas of Schindler's List.
3/5
Read More
If you like this, try these:
Member Reviews (26)
26 Member
Reviews
lynne
says
easy watching if you want to chill a lovely little film.
Jan
says
Benoit Poelvoorde was outstanding!
Colleen
says
First foreign movie I have watched right thru. Thoroughly enjoyed it, subtitles and all.
Margaret
says
a lovely light hearted film easy to watch and lots of fun
Kath
says
Delightful film, visually beautiful (you can almost taste the chocolate), oddball characters, quirky. A lot of fun.
Autumn Sadie
says
What a beautiful film. Amazing colours, brilliant cinematography and magnificent script. It is funny, stunning and magical all in one. A story of unlikely love, difficult emotions and delicious chocolates. 5 stars. Worth every minute!
Michelle & Darrell
says
Do not let the sub titles put you off.. a romantic movie with a great twist. Awkward and odd, funny and unusual.. my husband and I enjoyed this one immensely. Love is not always easy, people are not always as they seem and can be putting on a front because they hide some glitch in their system.. Finding someone special to understand is wonderful, finding someone with a similar glitch can be terrifying and a plot for a great movie.. And for a french movie, a good ending!
peppaspetals
says
A beautiful love story that involves chocolate and laughter. Highly recommend.
RachG
says
Cute, funny and beautiful.. plus chocolate how could you go wrong!?!
says
ConnieK
Second time I have seen this. I actually love this movie but you have to be in the mood to watch it.. Love French comedy
Sybil
says
Don't even bother.
ajt_t
says
Wonderfully quirky and endearing....as only the french can do so well.....just wanted to taste those chocolates....and the wonderful messages about love and being yourself....
Flik
says
I really enjoyed this film. I love to watch Amelie and so borrowed this film.
There is something about french humour that I quite enjoy. Although a bit slow and slightly predictable it is worth a look.
chookey
says
Didnt finish it. Too slow. Didn't want to wait to see how it went.
Jen
says
Film is very slow to get going and then very predictable rom-com style. Cute and lightweight but forgettable.
Marg 0
says
Absolutely delightful
D.M.
says
Gorgeous, funny, sweet and very charming: a bit of fun and whacky romance that is very touching. I think they'd be people out there just like Angelique and Jean Rene, those highly sensitive persons that find it hard to relate, poor artistic souls that they are! I like a foreign film and this one was well worth seeing. Only criticism is the ending was a bit too 'twee' and I would have liked to see more about the chocolate making. This movie will bring on chocky cravings.
Geoff@gol
says
Just a cute little Subtitle french Rom/Com. Script is a bit disjointed but some funny moments. Reasonable night's entertainment.
Merle
says
OK but I fell asleep watching so it can't have been enjoyable enough!
CL-D
says
Simon Maurado says it's slight, but I think that's what makes it a lovely little easy to watch little gem. These type of movie very often go the way of being plain stupid but this escapes that and all players avoid the trap of overacting. It is actually quite poignent. A feelgood movie without the schmatz..
says
A light French rom-com. Great for those not wanting to think too much!
gerd
says
Mostly farce, but quirky and interesting enough to stay with it to see what happens. Fortunately most of the scenes are kept short and are not laboured. But as a film, it's not nearly as good as many other recent French romantic comedies.
Sil
says
Fun, lighthearted and entertaining with a lovely finish.
Phil
says
Indeed light and amusing. Enough to entertain. Made in France.
says
We thoroughly enjoyed this film. It's light and amusing.
Bavin
says
This film is a kind-hearted tale that doesn't try to achieve too much and succeeds admirably. It's a very sweet story about two painfully shy people who share a love of chocolate. Their faltering steps to a romance are a bit predictable, but engaging nonetheless. There are some amusing moments but it's not meant to be hilarious.