The Names of Love

There are countless ways love manifests itself and this movie brings one such variation to the audience in a most charming manner. The two main characters, Arthur Martin and Baya Benmahmoud, played oh so well by Jacques Gamblin and Sara Forestier, could not be more opposites, yet they will be attracted to each other because it simply was meant to be, as nature follows a path for the best. Indeed, Arthur is a conservative, clinical, repressed individual whose life was shaped by his upbringing; Sara is a volatile emotional, leftist whose life was equally shaped by her upbringing. Their parents lives are culturally polar (Jewish and Muslim) but share similar struggle and so Arthur and Sara find that to be their common bond, in addition to their most satisfying sexual relationship. I just wanted to take a bite out of Sara, but in a very good way; I found Arthur very sympathetic. There was a passage in the film that sort of explained the scientific expression 'hybrid vigor'; I found this to be particularly fascinating and of course, I subscribe to it wholeheartedly. Sara liberates Arthur from his repression and he provides her with the real affection she was always deserving of; a romantic comedy movie could hardly do better. Too often, comedy is mistaken for hilarious premise or funny storytelling; comedy is roughly defined though, as a drama with light and amusing characters, typically with a happy ending and we tend to forget this. It's one reason so many movies are categorized as romantic comedies. I rather like the genre and believe it lends itself to a more fulfilling experience than action movies or thrillers which tend to be judge more rigorously. Don't get me wrong I need my fix of those as well. If you like foreign (non Hollywood) films, you should love this one; if on the other hand you haven't yet realized such a variety enriches you movie-going experience, try. I recommend this movie in either case.

You will never change your political opponentsâ