I enjoyed this film. I'm not a French speaker, but much preferred the original title to the translation which comes across as trite 'Love at First Fight', when it is a much more subtle film.
The film begins in an off-beat manner, but its loose structure works well & the two leads are engaging. It's a romantic drama without being sentimental. I liked how the gender roles were reversed: Arnaud, a young carpenter, is sensitive & physically slight in contrast to the muscular, taciturn Madeleine, who frequently lashes out when frustrated. It reminded me of 'Betty Blue' about two very different people falling in love.
Arnaud appears 'weak', timid & a conformist. The film begins with him working for the family business, following his father's death. The suggestion is that he is only too aware of his circumstances & not through choice (doing one's duty, being responsible, living day by day) in contrast to Madeleine who has dropped out of college.
The two are brought together by the fight, & Arnaud's clear fascination for the oddball Madeleine.
Ironically, it is Arnaud who prospers at the military boot camp (Second Act), where his quiet strength, caring nature & ability to work with others wins the confidence of the officers. Madeleine's brusque superiority & macho attitude alienates others instead. The army is, in fact, a substitute family unit & family sometimes means putting others before oneself.
The major turning point in the film occurs when Madeleine lashes out at Arnaud during an orientation exercise (symbolic perhaps as she is losing her bearings) & he storms off & does not retaliate (unlike their first encounter).
Lost in the forest, Arnaud reveals himself to be a bit of a quiet rebel , someone who masks his desperation. He has his own life philosophy (contrasting with Madeleine's doom-laden theories) which enables him to survive: that rebelling is pointless because sometimes there is nothing you can do (the coffin he built for his father & bureaucracy, the opening scene). This revelation breaks the ice between Madeleine & him so that she can lower her guard & reveal her emotional side.
The off-beat nature of this film is frequently provided by the eccentric behaviour of the anti-heroine Madeleine, like the bizarre present she brings to Arnaud's mother.
I liked how the end of the film (like a sci-fi film) drew together themes (Madeleine's belief in an impending Armageddon). It was original & believable.
Excellent performances, Kevin Azais (reminiscent of Kevin McKidd in looks) captures both his quiet strength & vulnerability whilst Adele Haenel perhaps has a more challenging role. Madeleine appears 'one-note' but has to reveal inner confusion & insecurity. I thought the final scene was excellent. Madeleine is the one who appears 'shy', her posture says it all, the self-conscious way she stands as if no longer in control of what is happening to her: which is what being in love is. about.
The film begins in an off-beat manner, but its loose structure works well & the two leads are engaging. It's a romantic drama without being sentimental. I liked how the gender roles were reversed: Arnaud, a young carpenter, is sensitive & physically slight in contrast to the muscular, taciturn Madeleine, who frequently lashes out when frustrated. It reminded me of 'Betty Blue' about two very different people falling in love.
Arnaud appears 'weak', timid & a conformist. The film begins with him working for the family business, following his father's death. The suggestion is that he is only too aware of his circumstances & not through choice (doing one's duty, being responsible, living day by day) in contrast to Madeleine who has dropped out of college.
The two are brought together by the fight, & Arnaud's clear fascination for the oddball Madeleine.
Ironically, it is Arnaud who prospers at the military boot camp (Second Act), where his quiet strength, caring nature & ability to work with others wins the confidence of the officers. Madeleine's brusque superiority & macho attitude alienates others instead. The army is, in fact, a substitute family unit & family sometimes means putting others before oneself.
The major turning point in the film occurs when Madeleine lashes out at Arnaud during an orientation exercise (symbolic perhaps as she is losing her bearings) & he storms off & does not retaliate (unlike their first encounter).
Lost in the forest, Arnaud reveals himself to be a bit of a quiet rebel , someone who masks his desperation. He has his own life philosophy (contrasting with Madeleine's doom-laden theories) which enables him to survive: that rebelling is pointless because sometimes there is nothing you can do (the coffin he built for his father & bureaucracy, the opening scene). This revelation breaks the ice between Madeleine & him so that she can lower her guard & reveal her emotional side.
The off-beat nature of this film is frequently provided by the eccentric behaviour of the anti-heroine Madeleine, like the bizarre present she brings to Arnaud's mother.
I liked how the end of the film (like a sci-fi film) drew together themes (Madeleine's belief in an impending Armageddon). It was original & believable.
Excellent performances, Kevin Azais (reminiscent of Kevin McKidd in looks) captures both his quiet strength & vulnerability whilst Adele Haenel perhaps has a more challenging role. Madeleine appears 'one-note' but has to reveal inner confusion & insecurity. I thought the final scene was excellent. Madeleine is the one who appears 'shy', her posture says it all, the self-conscious way she stands as if no longer in control of what is happening to her: which is what being in love is. about.