He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not Details

The old adage of there being “two sides to every story” is proven brutally accurate in French writer/director Laetitia Colombani's beautifully crafted debut. By splitting this romantic thriller into interconnected halves, Colombani is better able to explore the complexities of personal relationships, as seen through the eyes of a man and woman in love. In the first misleadingly simplistic segment, art student Angélique (Amélie's Audrey Tautou) edges towards Fatal Attraction territory, as her apparent affair with married cardiologist Loïc (Samuel Le Bihan) starts to sour. However, in the second segment, the story is replayed, this time from Loïc's viewpoint, and previously innocuous events take on a very different and unexpected meaning. Anchored by two strong central performances, this tightly coiled treat is a chilling mass of contradictions and surprises. Even the occasionally heavy-handed symbolism provides a satisfying touch, giving the two halves of the film a unique visual and emotional identity. Rich with Gallic flair and passion, it's a pleasing lesson about never taking anything, especially movies, at face value.

"...An impressively assured and confident first film....It is ultimately unsettling in the utmost, its creepiness leavened by only the slightest touch of pitch-dark humor..."