L'amour et les forêts

A very serious story that is a brilliant base for the topic of abusive relationships. Any woman, starting at a young age, should understand such things. I think this movie would be great for such a topic. The context of the story perfectly captured the essence of such relationships and what kind of relationships they lead to.

The whole movie had me in suspense. The feeling was mixed with romance that quickly faded away. The good thing is that real happiness was still present. Thanks to such a cocktail of emotions, I was not left indifferent.

Undoubtedly, I would not have experienced such emotions if not for the amazing actors. They perfectly conveyed the necessary emotions. Both fear and anger were in the actors' faces and I still remember these scenes.

In addition to the acting talents, I would like to mention the good musical accompaniment that added color to the context of the scenes. These sounds did not let me forget what abusive behavior is.

Go out more they said. Meet men they said. Maybe that's not such a great idea after all... Lamoureux is anything but amoureux.

It's very uncomfortable and triggering. Watching the degree to which a woman allows a man to degrade her. And for what, for the love that he once gave her? Which was all clearly staged, a carefully conceived trap.

Peak confidence for a domestic abuser - admit he's an abuser and then blame her for allowing it to happen, for not loving him enough to prevent him from turning into an abuser.

Yeah, cats and wine seem better companions.

Not all men they said. Enough though.

Valérie Donzelli's *Just the Two of Us* (*L'amour et les forêts*) is a chilling exploration of the thin line between passion and possession. Adapted from Éric Reinhardt's novel, the film follows Blanche Renard (Virginie Efira), a woman who falls for the charming and enigmatic Greg Lamoureux (Melvil Poupaud). What begins as a dream romance quickly unravels into a harrowing story of manipulation and emotional abuse.

Virginie Efira delivers a heartbreaking performance as Blanche, capturing the vulnerability and strength of a woman trapped in a toxic relationship. Melvil Poupaud is hauntingly convincing as Greg, whose possessiveness and control escalate with a quiet menace that keeps the tension palpable throughout. Their dynamic drives the film, creating moments that are both devastating and utterly compelling.

Donzelli's direction is intimate and unflinching, using close, often claustrophobic framing to reflect Blanche's emotional confinement. The film's pacing is taut, gradually intensifying as Greg's behavior becomes increasingly dangerous. The screenplay, co-written by Audrey Diwan and Donzelli, is sharp and nuanced, offering an unvarnished look at the psychological toll of abuse while avoiding melodrama.

The cinematography contrasts the idyllic beginnings of Blanche and Greg's relationship with the dark, oppressive atmosphere of its descent, enhancing the emotional weight of the story. The score, subtle yet haunting, underscores the film's themes of love turned toxic.

*Just the Two of Us* is a powerful and unrelenting film that speaks to the complexities of abusive relationships. Best watched in a quiet setting, it's a story that demands attention and reflection, shining a light on the courage it takes to confront and escape such situations.

Rating: 8/10 - A tense, emotionally charged depiction of love and its dangerous shadows.

Somehow I got the impression Valerie Donzelli, whom I like as an actress, is a competent director; looking back I have only seen her _Declaration of War_, which left little impression. Her new directorial effort _Just the Two of Us_ is truly dreadful from the first minute to the last. It starts out with rapid close-ups of different characters, in TV-editing style, before we have even figured out who they are. It doesn't help that Virginie Efira plays two of them (for a while I was convince one is the fractured alter ego of the other!), and every five seconds Donzelli switches color filter. It makes your head explode. Efira is always fascinating to watch, but she is arguably not a versatile enough actress to bring life to both roles with only a change of haircut. Or perhaps it is the director's fault, giving her other character no screen time?

The domestic abuse theme is tepid. It doesn't help that I just finished watching another Efira film (_An Impossible Love_) in which her character is much more sympathetic, and even more of a domestic abuse doormat. That film by Catherine Corsini is no cinematic masterpiece either, but at least it isn't visually assaultive. The screenplay of _Just the Two of Us_ features cringe-inducing voiceover too; astonishingly, it won a Cesar best screenplay prize!

The only saving grace is the appearance by actresses I haven't seen in a while: Marie Riviere as Efira's character's mother, and Laurence Cote who used to be in films by Rivette (although I barely recognize her).

Watching these two films by female French directors -- one bland, the other like a poke in the eye -- makes me wonder why French and American critics hate Melanie Laurent so much. Laurent is a hundred times better than these two put together. I suppose that is her one unforgivable sin -- making the critics' darlings and festival inner circle crowd such as Donzelli, Corsini, Maiwenn, and the truly dreadful Mia Hansen-Love look like amateurs.

The domestic abuse subgenre has a large range in quality. This one is above average. Passionate performances; excellent supporting cast.

Points penalized for distracting and utterly useless use of twins in the plot. Likewise for black and white thinking- he was not all bad and she was not all good.

Educational and important to instruct women- and men- to recognize themselves in what could be abusive relationships, even though maybe nobody is physically abused, there are plenty of other ways to be abused. Psychological torture can indeed be less tolerable and more painful than a slap in the face.

Other than this highly polished demonstration of the complicated ways abuse can manifest and how easy it can be to forget ourselves within the box we have created with our romantic partners- yes, even you, intelligent that you are- and a startling reminder that even the most moral, normal, people can be hiding the deepest, darkest secrets, there was little in the way of character development. Anything that took place outside the "Us" was not handled well- namely, the twin subplot, which felt more like a gimmick or ploy to mislead the audience into believing it would evolve into a secondary storyline involving some horror aspects or, at the very least, switching places.

Arguably, there was not much more to the two main characters besides this all-consuming relationship to one another- for, as the title says, it was them and only them; over "Us", zero "I". However, it still resulted in a film that leaves audience members wanting and a story that feels unbalanced.

Recommended for its possible selfhelp and societal value, but audiences should not expect too much as far as a rewarding climax or an otherwise fulfilling film.