Simple como Sylvain

Wow. I enjoyed every second of the movie. Gorgeous cinematography, amazing acting & chemistry, original, touching, funny, beautiful.

Since I'm originally from Montreal (Quebec), I deeply felt a connection with the way the movie was approached. It felt so familiar to me and every character was someone I know in my daily life. I was so connected to the story and the atmosphere.

The subjects of the movie like social classes and feminine sexuality are also rarely shown in a movie the way it was shown in this. It was not pretentious at all, it was just meant to exist on the big screen. The shots were so original and creative....

I am also shocked to learn that this movie is not the one representing the Canada at the Oscars 2024.....shocking!

The last time I was mindblown with a French Canadian movie was when Mommy by Xavier Dolan came out.

I highly recommend!

There's a lot of good things in Simple comme Sylvain. The chemestry between the two main actors is awesome and the tension is incredible in the first act. Christine Beaulieu is also fantastic in a perfect anticasting. Bonus points for Still Loving You being so well integrated. Sadly the direction and photography just annoyed me too much and make me loose immersion. There's a point in the film where all shots are claustrophobic, use a object to hide parts of the characters, are digitally cropped and loosw resolution or leverages a veil. There's also that annoying fast zoom that just takes me out of it. Sad because other than that it was a great movie.

Romantic comedies usually aren't my favorite genre but filmmaker Monia Chokri creates a simple, sweet and fun romantic movie with strong performances, interesting camerawork, atmosphere, and style.

Throughout, the narrative is the typical romantic comedy setting with interesting themes of social class, sexuality, exploration and connection but Chokri's direction, writing and approach to the narrative works as it's clear the movie doesn't take itself fully seriously and there are some interesting and creative choices to explore the characters and setting. The characters are interesting to explore while at times some of the developments and dialogue moments between them felt a bit too forced and left to be desired.

The performances are pretty good with each actor giving wonderful chemistry and moments together. All in all, while it's not something grand or amazing, it's a good fun romantic comedy movie with a good energy. French Canadian cinema is oftentimes not discussed much and it deserves to be discussed more.

Loved that film! An authentic journey into Quebec culture.

Acting is great, pictures are magnificent, but the thing that got me hooked was the amount of great moments of discomfort and chaos. Made me uncomfortable but in a way I enjoyed.

*** Dont believe the bad reviews***

First, it is not a romantic comedy. While comedy is present, it is pretty dark and I would describe it more as a drama, as well as a love dilemma.

Also, I saw reviews saying it is very much based on stereotypes. While a part of that might be true, you have to remember it's still a movie so it has to be a bit polarizing. But, as quebecois that lived both in Montreal and the suburbs/coutryside, I could relate to every situation in the film and I have to say, it was very accurate.

Loved the ending too.

9/10.

Romance in movies can be stale, like bread left overnight. In this current age, there needs to be more appetite for experimentation in the genre. Instead, preferences range from relying on the tried and true to the outright cliché. Fortunately, in The Nature of Love, the film finds a clever way to examine the formula but does more than reshuffle the material. There is an outright examination of love as a messy, kinetic, and deeply passionate event. This romance story plays fast and loose with the comedy, imbuing a sense of drama and even out-of-the-box thinking regarding the cinematography. In addition to being anchored by two leads with simmering chemistry, The Nature of Love is a poignant story going beyond the usual story beats of a girl meets boy into a study on values, love, and life.