The Names of Love (MICHEL LECLERC, 2010)
a very french romantic comedy. can’t quite describe this genre. other than to say it’s not like the typical american “romantic comedy.” it was surprisingly very political (but never dry or boring) and seriously sensual (this is a warning. just lot of unexpected nudity in the first 30 min but it’s not vulgar). never seen a movie like it. i loved the characters, the humor, the chemistry, acting—all was so endearing and believable. and ridiculous at the same time. i love sensible ridiculousness! the first 30 minutes seemed to drag on, but please keep watching to the end. my fav scene is the 3:7 lobsters to crabs scene at the beach. beautiful cinematography. and what arthur says about korean soccer players. and the comment about commemorating the times you ate ice cream for the first time. i awed outloud at his imaginations.
quickly, this is about a young, very liberated leftist who literally carries out her philosophy, “make love not war” by sleeping with conservatives to convert them. and then comes along a pretty straight-edged middle-aged man, arthur martin. the two can’t be more different, but actually… yeah well, you will see, they fall in love. GOD they’re so good together. can’t get over it.
