Beating Hearts

Or something along those lines - so no pun intended. The bad boy syndrome ... you have it here too. And you have to suspend your disbelief for a few things so the movie can work in its entirety. The old he isn't that bad - I can save him route - is our character right this time? There are some indications early on where this might lead - question is if love can move anything and if so ... how much that would be.

This tells us the story in three different timelines and we are having a bit of a back and forth. That said, it not a frantic back and forth. Also get your mind out of the gutter - this is a love story ... with some violence in a different area ... if no one believes in an individual ... well he won't believe in himself either.

It is often on the verge of cliche, but never really falls off or flat. It works quite nicely - and the actors are the ones that make it work. You will always disappoint some people with the way your resolve or "end" things, but I think this chose the best way to go ... in all ways imaginable that is. A movie for almost everyone - drama baby, baby drama.

The first part, with the kids, is pretty good. The film should have ended there for the sake of audience. And Gilles Lellouche would have directed one of the best French teenage romances of the decade.

The rest of the movie, the second act, is horrible. The actors François Civil and Adèle Exarchopoulos lack chemistry together, their acting in this movie are bland and without compromise. I suspect both actors should start rethinking their own careers in French cinema once the two newcomers Mallory Wanecque and Malik Frikah outshine them and steal the show in this confusing mediocre movie.

At first it seems the movie strikes as a modern take of The Count of Monte Cristo .. I mean the old story of the wronged young rebel guy who returns for revenge and the search for his loved one. However it falls out with exaggerated and caricatured toxic masculinity. A stylized and tacky male gaze. And in the half and end of second act the plot ends up losing credibility.

The problem, beyond the burden of everything, is the strange determination that the film shows in claiming originality in each shot it offers without achieving it even once. Every time it comes to deciding,it always opt for the most formal, the most obvious. What we have already seen. And so, it repeats, for three hours of the closest thing to a French blockbuster, with a good marketing and PR behind it, it is that the French audiences are going to see this year.

Genuinely I expected a lot from this movie for 3 months and honestly I'm feel very disappointed from the script cause it's very bad and boring you don't expecting finally and type of story explain and happen like that cause there was a very good pitch and great potential in order to get one best story love of cinema industry, too bad !

First to all the pitch of the script it's great, you got all to making a such good story to tolling to an audience but unfortunately the way of manage the script played bad by screenwriters... cause the old period who explain the childhood it's nice but too long and you feel boring cause so many things happened and it' very useful to show and explain like 30 minutes to show the past will be great but 1 h and 15 minutes it's too long !!!

You expecting the movie will be relaunch when you see the old children's on adult people well.. note nothing move everything it's too slow, not so much action, then the main character could do a redemption about his old trouble, to do a revenge against all people who betrayed him but he didn't ... I mean that the story will be better with ideas and it's so disappointed that the dramatic scene was not enough present very bad cause it will be great story !!!

And about the script the two mains actors that we love, play only 20 minutes together, it's not enough for a movie very long of 2 h 40 minutes and too bad cause we expected anymore moments with these two actors, very bad point ...

The directing, soundtrack, playing lights and colors form the crew it's only the good points of the movie with also the nice acting from all the cast but for me the very bad points it's the script very slow and too long that it killed the movie... cause an alternative of some others ideas will be great but it didn't happened...

Thank you Gilles Lelouche for your great directing but your screenwriters and the different choices did by them killed the movie even if this story from a book and you can't to create the ideas that you want ...

Gilles Lellouche's near 3-hour epic crime romance adventure is quite ambitious. For Lelouche to explore some interesting themes about crime, angsty, love, and the extremely energetic tone, it's an accomplishment of French cinema in this current times.

Lellouche does offer some great aspects about it's concept. The strong performances, beautiful colorful production, tone, and camerawork really helps establish the environment, tone and setting. Unfortunately, what prevents it from being an epic masterpiece is the writing and structure. Oftentimes, Lellouche applies too much into the narrative. It's clear what the story is wanting to express and there are some pretty good aspects about it. But with a narrative that feels unnecessary stretched out and having characters that don't feel too emotionally connectable doesn't do much service to what Lellouche would have wanted.

I do appreciate some of the ambitious take Lellouche does. The fact he was able to capture the time period perfectly and have a good pacing does show the passion. But it's style over substance moments ends up over staying it's welcome. Realistically, this movie didn't have to be near 3-hours.

I was so excited about watching this movie directed by Gilles Lellouch and casted with Adele exarchopoulos and Francois Civil who I really appreciated. There is every ingredient there to make a French Bockbuster but they missed it. The first part is far too long to set the scene of their young lives and love. After a while we wonder if we did not access the wrong projection room. Plus we start feeling the frustration for not having seen any of Adele and Francois after an hour. If this 1st loooong part was intended, the movie should have been in 2 releases. Because I do think, although too long, it was a good one.

The second part of their adult life is not credible in many aspects and not enough exciting. I found the adaptation of the script rather weak. Plus I did not feel any connection with this reunion love story. As to the end it was too easy. It's a pity as I feel we missed here the opportunity here to have a great movie.

Well done to Mallory Wanecque as Jackie and Malik Frikah as Clotaire young who offer a great performance.