Der Auftragslover

I'm not into French cinema because I don't usually understand the jokes in them, but I went to see Heartbreaker last night for a special preview. I was completely surprised because it charmed me in the first five minutes and from then on it was an almost non-stop laughing, chuckling, cackling audience around me. I loved the storyline and the characters. Alex Lippi is a guy hired to seduce women and break up couples. When he is hired to sort out Juliette (Vanessa Paradis) 10 days before her wedding, he pulls out all the tricks from the hat but she doesn't fall for anything. Interestingly, the thing that it was in French made this movie work much better than a Hollywood version. I thoroughly enjoyed it because it was funny, witty, fresh, minus the clichés and cheap jokes.

PLOT: there is this agency (3 people working together: the main character, a guy who seduces the women, and his sister and her husband who help out in the background) that you can hire if you want to break up a woman's relationship. A father hires them to prevent his daughter from getting married, and they only have 10 days. They have to accept the job even if it seems impossible because they absolutely need the money.

It was great movie that makes you laugh and leaves you with a smile. The characters were lovable, the story was really funny, the dialogs were entertaining, and you never get bored. I sometimes find the introduction of movies a bit tedious and it takes some time to really dive into the story, but this movie starts off just right, so that's a plus! It's a great french romantic comedy that flirts with some clichés but actually plays really well with them. The only thing that we were left wondering about were the bride's father motivation for hiring someone to ruin his daughter's wedding plans, but it doesn't actually matter in the grand scheme of things.

Yes, it's *another* romantic comedy. And yes, there's nothing very original or groundbreaking here. But once you know what you're getting into, this is a really enjoyable watch with lots of funny moments. Perhaps it's just because the French style makes it feel a little different from the jaded American/British 'rom com' genre. Or perhaps the credit should go to the leads, Romain Duris and Vanessa Paradis, who were both great. Who'd have thought Paradis would pop up in this of all places. The movie for me was let down only by the ending, which was entirely predictable, but I still laughed along all the way! Recommended light viewing.

Brilliant French romantic comedy which punches above its weight. Funny, classy, wry, surprising the audience here and there. Shot on location, we had fun recognizing the spots in Morocco and Monaco, and we also enjoyed the soundtrack and references to George Michael and to "Dirty Dancing".

In the discussion boards, some people complained that "the leading actors have bad teeth"... That's precisely part of this film's charm: the leading actors are not standardized, plastic-like, Ken and Barbie dolls! They look more real with all their natural imperfections. But if you want Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, don't worry: there is bound to be an American remake of this coming soon...! (Probably set in Miami Beach with Queen Latifah and Eddie Murphy in the supporting roles).

I had the chance of attending this film's premiere in Lisbon, that counted with the director's presence. He was pleased that his main goal of entertaining the audience was fulfilled. And that's just it.

Chaumeil hands us a smooth and enjoyable work, perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Nothing more than a funny and cool romantic comedy with subtle slashes of a different action because of the 'breaking relationships' plot, always in a soft touch. I point out the chemistry between the two main actors, one of the film's main qualities, and specially Romain Duris that is becoming an essential actor of french contemporary cinema, commercial as independent.

A 'feel-good' movie destined to amuse the public and that achieves well his mission in a dynamic and pleasuring way - 6/10.