This French triumph, originally titled Á la folie… pas du tout, was the director Laetitia Colombani’s first full-length endeavour. Audrey Tautou, best-known for her role in Amélie, plays the love-sick student Angélique. He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not is a highly original film that, on reflection, is a far-cry from a typical love story.
While this story starts out as a seemingly idealistic portrayal of two people meeting and falling in love, the truth slowly unravels. Perceptions of the characters are drastically altered, and each event suddenly has a whole new meaning.
Samuel Le Bihan plays Angélique’s love-interest, cardiologist Loïc Le Garrec. His performance is at times haunting and always brilliant, although he is overshadowed by Tautou. Audrey Tautou is the modern-day Audrey Hepburn, with her innocent looks and demure nature, yet Tautou juxtaposes this with the flawed, eccentric character she portrays.
It is difficult to explain how unusual and unprecedented this film is without giving the game away. He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not isn’t quite the sentimental, soppy love story it appears to be, and is instead misconceiving and intriguing. It is a must-see and must-own film, as you will want to watch it again and again.
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (2002), directed by Laetitia Colombani, is released on DVD in the UK by Studio Canal, Certificate 12.
