Film: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
Year of production: 2002
UK Release date: 28th April 2003
Distributor: Optimum
Certificate: 12
Running time: 92 mins
Director: Laetitia Colombani
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Samuel Le Bihan, Isabelle Carré, Sophie Guillemin, Clément Sibony
Genre: Romance/Thriller
Format: DVD
Country of Production: France
Language: French
Review by: Samuel Clifton
The first feature from French director Laetitia Colombani is also one of compatriot Audrey Tautou's first appearances following her international breakthrough in Jeunet's Amélie. Together they tackle the thorny issue of 'erotomania' in an unconventional love story filled with twists and told in a non-linear narrative.
Matters of the heart abound as cardiologist Dr. Loïc Le Garrec (Brotherhood Of The Wolf's Le Bihan) unwittingly becomes the focus of attention for art student Angélique (Tautou). New neighbours after she begins house-sitting for a family on vacation, Angélique embarks on what she believes to be an affair with the married, expectant father.
Things start innocently enough as she surreptitiously sends the doctor flowers at his office and dedicates works of art to him. The affair soon turns sour, however, when Le Garrec's wife (Carré) suffers a miscarriage and the marriage breaks up. Learning of this, Angélique excitedly plans a trip to Florence with her newly available love. Of course, Angélique's dreams are dashed when Le Garrec leaves her stranded alone at the airport. So begins Angélique's inevitable descent into depression, delusion and obsession..
In quick succession she loses both her job and a prestigious art scholarship. Already at her nadir, Angélique sees a news broadcast telling of Dr. Le Garrec's arrest for the assault of one of his patients. A tumultuous sequence of events quickly unfolds and comes to a head with Angélique's life hanging in the balance.
It's at this point that the story rewinds itself to make a point of divergence when Angélique sends a single rose to Dr. Le Garrec. From here, we see the affair from his perspective and his is a story that differs greatly from the version of events told from Angélique's point of view. Angélique's fragile state of mind is further illuminated by the realisation that events seemingly so important to her were not what they at first appeared to be. In the final passage, Angélique is afforded the opportunity for recovery and redemption but an ominous conclusion suggests that she might not take it…
Writer/director Colombani is possibly her own worst enemy in her début feature. Whilst her examination of the psychological phenomena of 'erotomania' is confidant and daring, her execution is sadly lacking. The problem is that her addition to the 'woman scorned' genre brings little new to the table besides a thin intellectual examination of the psychology of obsession and even this feels a little tacked on. The film consistently tries to be new and unpredictable, but it fails in most of its attempts. For instance, there is a scene within Angélique's half of the film in which she catches Le Garrec in an embrace with his wife. Whilst she is shocked at this discovery, we are not. Colombani's script can't help but hit all the familiar plot points that we've seen time and time again: The fragile, naïve waif who falls for the strong, stern professional; the marriage that breaks down over trauma and mistrust; the inevitable violent conclusion. All are present and correct.
The script's dialogue does feature some memorable moments when you feel a real sense that Colombani has lent an introspective and delicate touch to her film, but these are sadly few and far between. What's more, these genuine moments in the script are negated by Colombani's juvenile visual devices which only serve to betray her youth and inexperience. In the midst of Angélique's downfall, we witness the wilting of a rare plant placed into her care by the family whose house she is sitting. This visual metaphor for life and love dying may have been poignant in Disney's Beauty And The Beast some twenty years ago, but here it just seems trite.
Colombani's lack of originality extends also to the decision to present her début in the popular non-linear style. In Twyker's Run Lola Run, the simple story was greatly enhanced by the replay of a single day's events, whilst Nolan's tale of an amnesiac in Memento necessitated that it was told in reverse. He Loves Me... does not benefit in the same way from using this device. This is partially because it's unnecessary. The revelations unveiled in the second half are not as shocking or surprising as the filmmaker would have us believe. The predictable script cannot bear the weight of suspense that a non-linear narrative carries. More disappointing, however, is the feeling that the film may well have been better without the leap backward. The jump creates a strict dichotomy between the two protagonists that robs the film of any moral or emotional complexity. If the film had unfolded itself in a more straightforward fashion, Angélique's descent into mania may have been more immediately engaging and relatable. As it is, we are given perhaps a little too much objectivity on events. Tellingly, one of the few true moments of pathos in the film only occurs towards its conclusion when Angélique finally gets a kiss from her object of desire. By this point, the non-linear portion of the narrative has already been resolved.
Where Colombani must be commended is in her direction of the cast and their performances. Tautou is admirably committed to her role; especially given stardom must have beckoned following a star turn in Amélie. She lends the best parts of Colombani's script the lightness of touch and introspection it deserves. As the beleaguered Dr. Le Garrec, Le Bihan's understated performance is watchable and believable. Equally, the supporting cast of Carré and Sibony are well measured in their roles as Le Garrec's wife and Angélique's admirer respectively. Credit is also due for the inclusion of Nat King Cole's L.O.V.E. as a recurring musical motif throughout the film. It plays as a soundtrack over a montage of Angélique's supposed moments of happiness with Le Garrec and serves as one of the films truly surprising, humorous and ironic aspects.
Colombani's treatment of the subject of 'erotomania' is undeniably brave and well examined. However, Colombani's final product fails on many counts to avoid the pitfalls of its genre. The script can't help but feel derivative and the direction speaks of someone who's searching for their own distinctive voice. Ironically, it's the peculiarly French sense of detachment from its subject matter that denies the film of any real emotional impact. Some respite is to be found in the excellent cast and their superb reading of the highlights of the script, but the film still struggles to satisfy or leave a lasting impact. SC
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