French Lover Parent Guide

In a French take on a gender-flipped Notting Hill–style romance, Abel (Omar Sy) is a well-known actor determined to take his career to the next level. He meets Marion (Sara Giraudeau) during an unfortunate incident at a restaurant that leads to her dismissal.

Surprised by how unimpressed Marion is by his fame and fortune and intrigued by her bluntness and self-assurance, Abel finds himself drawn to her. Marion, who is in the midst of a divorce and struggling to make ends meet, is worlds apart from Abel, who has just released a new film and is optimistic about landing more serious leading roles. After Marion ends up without a place to live, Abel offers his guest bedroom. As they navigate a quickly budding relationship across drastically different realities, they must face the challenges of their different lives. When Abel is given a role in his dream movie alongside his ex-girlfriend (Cindy Bruna), Marion has to decide if she can block out the press, the jealousy and the schedule, and they both must determine what they are willing to sacrifice for love.

Despite the film’s promising setup as a feel-good, Hallmark-type romantic comedy, it left me questioning my ability to track a plot in a different language, because I genuinely couldn’t tell if we were meant to root for this love story. I had several issues with the film, chief among them being Abel’s character. My personal litmus test for a good romance lead is this: would I be happy if a close friend were dating this person? In Marion’s case, I’d be staging an intervention. In all honesty, Abel’s behaviour is completely unacceptable but is somehow excused because he’s famous. His refusal to take no for an answer, paired with some unsettling displays of anger, left me wondering what exactly the audience was supposed to swoon over beyond his looks. His more familiar traits of entitlement and incompetence certainly did not help. Because of this, I had no interest in seeing Abel and Marion end up together. In fact, I found myself hoping Marion would pack up, take her dog, and live her best life without him. My issue with this film wasn’t with the predictability or even the lacklustre screenplay, but with the deeper message it sends about the kind of romantic partner one should accept and even aspire to be with.

French Lover touches on several mature themes but remains relatively modest in what it actually depicts on screen. Most of the film’s adult content comes through its dialogue and occasional recreational drug use. While it’s by no means family-friendly, I’d say that of all the reasons one might choose to skip this film, the negative content itself isn’t the most pressing concern.

About author

Alisha Bagshaw

Alisha Bagshaw is completing her BCST in Child and Youth Care Counselling and is working toward a career in psychology and policy advocacy. She enjoys reading, watching movies, and subjecting her husband and friends to in-depth (and usually unsolicited) synopses and thematic analysis.