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The Vow

A saccharine and paint-by-numbers slice of romance, which is largely boosted by the appeal of its two leads.

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (3D)

The under-utilised 3D adds little to this prequel, which only serves as a sore reminder of the brilliance of the original films.

Any Questions For Ben?

The talented bunch of actors ably cut through the surface gloss, but it’s tough to remain invested in the plight of the self-absorbed lead.

Shame

It starts off as brutal but arresting stuff, and the two lead performances are scorching, but disappointingly dissolves into a case of tragedy for the sake of tragedy.

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My Friends My Loves (Film)

by Liz Graham | July 14, 2009 16:15 | Edited July 14, 2009 16:22

The sweet story gets overshadowed by strange directorial choices, though the cast support the story well.

The French comedy My Friends, My Loves follows Mathias (Vincent Lindon) in his move from Paris to the ex-pat enclave in London's South Kensington, where he heads for a number of reasons: to join his friend Antoine (Pascal Elbe), to be near his daughter, and to take over a bookshop. The two divorced fathers soon decide to join forces and live together with their kids. Antoine sets down strict ground rules (no babysitters, no women in the house, must be home by midnight) which initially brings domestic happiness, but the arrangement gets complicated once the beautiful Audrey (Virginie Ledoyen) enters Matthias' life.

 

Sure, the idea of a sensitive man running a quaint bookshop in London where his love interest walks through the door is a lazy steal from Notting Hill, but the premise of My Friends, My Loves (based on Marc Levy's bestselling novel of the same name) still had all the potential to be a charming, interesting comedy. Director and co-writer Lorraine Levy, however, makes odd choices which all but squander this opportunity. In fact, the beginning of the film almost sends you running from the cinema with its clumsy flashback device and voice over narration.

 

Things do settle down once the film moves to London, where we are given beautiful scenery and genuine chemistry between Lindon and Elbe as the Gallic odd couple. Their two children, Emilie (Garance Le Guillermic) and Louis (Tom Invernizzi), become peacemakers in the house, and both young actors give funny, understated performances. Unfortunately, there's little else to edify. The supporting characters are sketchily drawn, and the love story between Audrey and Mathias becomes pure contrivance. There's also a curious absence of any English-speaking people, or culture, in the film. All of which renders My Friends, My Loves as sweet but shallow entertainment.