Love Affair(s) (Original title, French: Les Choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait, lit.'The things we say, the things we do') is a 2020 French drama film written and directed by Emmanuel Mouret. The film stars Camelia Jordana, Niels Schneider, Vincent Macaigne and Julia Piaton.[4]

Love Affair(s)
Film poster
FrenchLes Choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait
Directed byEmmanuel Mouret
Written byEmmanuel Mouret
Produced byFrédéric Niedermayer
Starring
CinematographyLaurent Desmet
Edited byMartial Salomon
Music byvarious composers
Production
company
Moby Dick Films[1]
Release date
  • September 16, 2020 (2020-09-16) (France[2])
Running time
118 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Box office$2.5 million [3]

The film was an official selection for the Cannes Film Festival in 2020[5] and received 13 nominations for the 46th César Awards, the most of any eligible film.[6]

Plot

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While on a rural vacation with his partner, Daphné, who is three months pregnant, François is forced to return to Paris for work. She finds herself on her own when Maxime, a cousin she has never met arrives to stay. For four days, while awaiting François' return, Daphné and Maxime gradually confide to each other their present and past love stories.[7]

Maxime, who is trying to become a novelist, recounts his encounter with Victoire, who was attracted to him. After a brief intimate relationship, she revealed to him that she was married and moving to Japan with her husband. At their farewell party, she introduced Maxime to her sister Sandra, who was in fact his childhood sweetheart, but Sandra had broken off. Maxime’s room-mate Gaspard then came together with Sandra, and they invited Maxime to live with them in the large apartment of Sandra’s aunt. The relationship between Sandra and Gaspard had ups and downs which gave Maxime hope but when he discovered that Gaspard and Sandra still met secretly, he moved out. Daphné tells how she met François; an older documentary filmmaker, for whom she worked as an editor but who did not reciprocate her love.

After sharing their experiences, Daphné and Maxime run into Victoire on one of their walks. She has separated from her husband in Japan, is three months pregnant and staying nearby with her mother. The fact that Maxime visits her at her mother's house, even staying overnight, does not worry Daphné.

In Paris, François learns that his ex-wife Louise has found out about his relationship with Daphné. Daphné and Maxime have begun an affair by the time François arrives back in the country early one morning and confesses his confused feelings to Maxime, but decides to simply remain with Daphné, although no longer sure of his feelings. Maxime does not succeed in keeping with Daphné and leaves by train back to Paris.

Months later, Daphné unexpectedly sees Maxime shopping for Christmas trees in Paris. But she then she notices that he is with Victoire, and she turns back to François.

Cast

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Production

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Principal filming took place from 29 October to 5 December 2019, mainly in the Île-de-France and the Vaucluse,[8] including the Chateau du Barroux, Vaison-la-Romaine and its hilltop Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Nazareth de Vaison, Crillon-le-Brave, the Avignon-Centre rail station, and Mollans-sur-Ouvèze.[9] The director of photography was Laurent Desmet, who had already worked with Mouret since 2006 on Un baiser s'il vous plaît, Fais-moi plaisir!, L'Art d'aimer, Une autre vie and Mademoiselle de Joncquières.

Reception

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Box office

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The film was released in France on September 16, 2020 in 294 theaters, with 11,144 admissions on its first day.[10] The first weekend saw 55,695 admissions.[11] After a week, the film had accumulated 77,092 admissions. Despite 66 additional screens, the second weekend was marked by a 24.5% drop in admissions with 58,182 additional spectators.[12] In January 2021, 279,094 admissions were recorded.[13]

Music

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The final credits list a wide range of music used as punctuation between the episodes in the film, by, among others Chopin, Mozart, Satie, Debussy, Haydn, Khactaturian, Granados, Offenbach and Tchaikovsky both in the form of piano pieces and arranged for orchestra.[14]

Release

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Les Choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait was released on September 16, 2020 in France.[2]

A DVD of the film published by Moby Dick Films in 2020 also included a 2019 short film written and directed by Mouret entitled Le consentement with Olivier Chantreau and Rebecca Marder.

References

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  1. ^ "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - Love Affair(s)". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Love Affair(s)". UniFrance. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  3. ^ "The Things We Say, the Things We do".
  4. ^ Elsa, Keslassy (February 10, 2021). "Emmanuel Mouret's 'Love Affairs' Leads France's Cesar Nominations". Variety. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  5. ^ Cannes 2020. Critique : Les choses qu’on dit, les choses qu’on fait par Fabien Lemercier (26 June 2020). Cineuropa website, accessed 7 January 2024.
  6. ^ Nancy, Tartaglione (February 10, 2021). "César Awards: 'Love Affair(s),' 'Adieu Les Cons,' 'Summer Of 85' Lead Nominations; 'Two Of Us' Scores Four Nods". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  7. ^ Les Choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait de Emmanuel Mouret - synopsis on the Cineuropa website accessed 2 January 2024.
  8. ^ Les Choses qu'on dit, les Choses qu'on fait d'Emmanuel Mouret accessed 15 September 2022.
  9. ^ Fiche technique. Les Choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait. L'Avant Scène Cinéma 678, décembre 2020, p63-65.
  10. ^ "JP Box-Office - DaybyDay". jpbox-office.com (in French). Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  11. ^ "Les Choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait (2020)". jpbox-office.com (in French). Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  12. ^ "JPBoxOffice - Hebdo France - Du 23 au 29 septembre 2020 (5 jours)". jpbox-office.com (in French). Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  13. ^ "Les Choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait (2020)". jpbox-office.com (in French). Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  14. ^ Detailed list in the final credits.
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