- originally written for Showroom Cinema – I’ve made a few changes
Anaïs in Love, is a buoyant French comedy following a spirited young woman, giving a refreshing and subversive take on the rom-com genre. The debut feature from Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet (Pauline Enslaved) it explores sexuality and relationships from a non-traditional viewpoint with LGBTQ+ themes.
After a brief dalliance with an older man, Anaïs soon finds herself captivated instead by his long-time partner Emilie, and the resulting affair may just offer the contentment Anaïs has been searching for. We could insert here a whole conversation on this reflecting women raising their standards.
Anaïs (Anaïs Demoustier) is a complex character of a kind that is often misrepresented on screen as a selfish flake. She’s passionate, free spirited and impulsive; adverse to commitment and definite conclusions. The film handles her unique personality with tenderness and casts a natural portrait of Anaïs’ charm, opening us up to her world through her lens.
The care that is taken to paint a fair portrait of Anaïs is indicative of Bourgeois-Tacquet’s exceptional screenplay. The writer’s background is in the study of literature and publishing: an environment which Anaïs occupies for much of the film. Charline’s personal experiences shape her protagonist, with the film’s plot reflecting its creator’s own life within the publishing industry.
Bourgeois-Tacquet sets the world in a familiar place, which helps her to create realistic characters that we can strongly relate to and believe. Anaïs’ wild personality stems from Charline herself and through her characters the director opens up about her own neurosis as she engages with and is intellectually stimulated by the world.
Charline’s approach to scriptwriting sees her throwing out the rule book on how to write. She starts with the dialogue and stages her scenes around it, taking the time to rehearse and rewrite with moving precision. Her main concern with Anaïs in Love is to avoid a story forced by love at first sight. This is a story that builds on love within the surrounding context of their lives and uses these peripheral details to show what draws the characters to each other, naturally.
Anaïs in Love is a wonderful reworking of French romance and much more than a summer fling. It captures the beautiful French countryside featuring locations in Paris and Normandy and is full of tantalising literary exchanges. Anaïs, unashamed and playful with her desires, sauntering through life with ease reminds us of the strength of letting things go and starting fresh.
MusingsofHope 