Brightest Young Things

The Names of Love is a quirky French comedy that that works better for those well-versed in Woody Allen movies and modern French politics. These topics are not barriers to entry, as the leads are bubbly and likable enough to help those unfamiliar with Jacques Chirac’s politics. The movie uses the classic “opposites attract” plot to tell deeper story about identity. And with an abundance of female nudity, the differences among the central couple are more eye-catching than usual. The story moves at a brisk pace and never overstates its gleefully offensive humor, yet its foray into politics may only appeal to die-hard Francophiles.

Arthur Martin (Jacques Gamblin) is a straight-laced, half-Jewish scientist who enjoys the anonymity of his common surname. After a disastrous radio interview, Arthur meets Baya Benmahmoud (Sara Forestier), a feisty French/Algerian woman who sleeps with right-wingers as a means of political deprogramming. She begins a relationship with Arthur, one initially based on sex, which deepens as they spend more time together. Baya, who sometimes forgets she is stark naked, comes from a family of outspoken outsiders, and she struggles to help Arthur break free from his conservative upbringing. Differing attitudes and backgrounds lead to an ongoing conversation about what it means to be French. When the parents of Baya and Arthur finally meet, their simmering disagreements threaten to boil over.

Annie Hall left a strong impression on co-writer/director Michel Leclerc, and its influence peppers the entire film. For the first twenty minutes, Baya and Arthur speak directly to the camera, telling the audience how their background informs their adult life. Later, as the lovers struggle to understand each other, younger versions themselves appear on-screen to give counsel. Leclerc adds enough of his own touches and observations so that Allen’s influence is never a distraction. A crab-liberating trip to the Ocean is a highlight, and it also deepens the connection between the unlikely pair.

Strong acting is necessary to buoy such a dialog-driven movie. Without the charismatic couple, their flaws would either be too cloying or too brazen. As Arthur, Gamblin takes a familiar type from romantic comedy and modulates it in a uniquely French way. His body language is comically precise even when Baya wanders through the subway naked. With frequent wardrobe malfunctions, Forestier has a more difficult job. She won a Cesar award – France’s equivalent of the Oscars – for her performance, and it’s easy to see why. With an expressive face and natural charisma, she easily traverses her moments as a sex-kitten and left-wing firebrand.

The timeline of The Names of Love passes through recent French elections, and presidential candidates remain a constant topic of conversation. Politics, as well as romantic comedy formula, are the prism through which we see their disagreements and common ground. A pleasant persists during discussions of French imperialism, the assimilation of Muslims, and the futility of supporting a third-party candidate. Even when conservation turns to holocaust survival, Leclerc finds the appropriate combination of irreverence and empathy. Allusions to French socialism be damned, The Names of Love charms its way into rich insight.

Previously in Another Movie Guy?:

• 9/16: Movie Review: "The Interrupters."
• 9/16: Movie Review: "Straw Dogs."
• 8/31: Movie Review: "The Debt."
• 8/26: Movie Review: "Pianomania."
• 8/26: Movie Review: "Brighton Rock."
• 8/19: Movie Review: "Attack the Block."
• 8/12: Movie Review: "The Guard."
• 8/12: Movie Review: "30 Minutes or Less."
• 8/5: Movie Review: "The Devil's Double."
• 8/5: "HE SAID" Movie Review: "The Future."