Thomas est amoureux

THOMAS IN LOVE (3+ outta 5 stars)

A severe agoraphobe (afraid of open spaces) spends his whole life shut up in his apartment, experiencing only what he can via his computer screen. Since this takes place in the near future, he can actually see and do quite a bit. (The only problem, same as nowadays, is getting a repair technician to actually make a housecall... but since Thomas *never* leaves his home anyway, this doesn't prove to be too much of a difficulty.) His therapist thinks Thomas could benefit by more human contact so he enrolls Thomas in a dating agency and a medical prostitution service. Thomas is intrigued by a woman he meets in each place... but will either of them be able to get him to leave his apartment and have a real relationship... or will they be stuck in those embarrassing, clunky cybersex suits forever? This very interesting movie takes place entirely from the point of view of Thomas. The audience can only see what Thomas sees on his computer screen. We can hear his voice but we never see his face. The movie is carried by the performances of the people he encounters in his daily routine... everyone is completely believable. In another ten years' time this film will probably seem like a documentary.

I'm surprised by the quantity of gushing reviews of Thomas in Love, which IFC is now showing on cable TV in the US.

This movie feels like a sci-fi short story developed into a short film by a student. The characters aren't very well-developed and the plot is small. The setting is foreign enough to be futuristic, but still familiar. The camera work is unusual and that's half of its charm. It's an exploration of an idea. A one-line plot pitch sums up the whole movie in its entirety. So many other films manage to create a spell in the time allotted to them, or create amazing characters with a wealth of subtleties. This movie doesn't manage that. It doesn't even attempt it. This is not to say it's a bad movie, just that it's not really all that noteworthy either.

While Thomas in Love is thoroughly enjoyable, fun, cute, and stylish in a gently cyberpunk way, it's not a stand-out.

I got up early on Sunday to catch a matinee of Thomas in Love. I had a horrible headache (from all the drinking I did the night before) and i almost thought twice about going to see this french Sci-Fi story about an agoraphobic. But i got up, put on my clothes and head over to the Nuart, my second favorite place in L.A. The movie was astounding, told completely thought the computer and video/phone system that Thomas uses to keep in touch with the world. The movie has a very hopeful and frightening feeling to it, simultaneously, a walking contradiction, like Thomas himself. The film has a very sterile and detached details to it, which is the reason for my fear. Internet will only separate us more, one does not need to live the house, or socialize. With great special efx (that add to the story, not take over), and a simple, almost under written characters, the director manages to pull two love stories in two hours both of them different and haunting, like love itself. The acting was difficult just because is all talking heads, but still is fascinating.

thomas in love is an engaging story and with aesthetically pleasing cinematography and colorful sets

i wish the relationships between the characters could have been developed a bit more fully. perhaps casting was the issue because one 'cyber-girlfriend' was much more engaging than the other, which leaves you missing her towards the end of the film.

it might have held together better if it had focused on one major relationship. almost seems as if there was enough raw material to develop into two separate films rather than trying to smush both relationships into one.

but overall, a really enjoyable film!

warning: fast forward past first few minutes if you don't know your date too well-- gratuitous cartoon sex could have been handled with more subtlety. didn't add much except titillation to the storyline.

if you liked this film, check out Lynn Hershman Leeson's TechnoLust. Leeson adds a bit more humor but similar mise en scene & aesthetic.

Thomas est amoureux (Thomas in Love) is perhaps one of the most unique and interesting films that I've seen. Although the introduction featuring 'Sextoon' could easily make it dismissable as a film about sex, hang on for a bit and you will discover quite an intelligent film.

It is the not-too-distant future and Thomas is an agoraphobe (one with fear of open air) who has kept himself in his apartment for eight years, communicating only by videophone functionality on his computer. He is advised to try dating services by his psychologist and meets women via the service, one of which starts to change his life.

The entire movie is filmed from the perspective of Thomas' computer screen, this itself gives the film a very unique effect. What also makes this movie interesting is Thomas' development of character - not only is it done very well, it is interesting to see how love can affect an agoraphobe, how he affects other people via the videophone, and how other people affect him. The way the future is portrayed is also quite interesting.

There isn't much to criticise the movie on (one could argue that there was quite a bit of explicit content, but it does seem necessary). That said, it isn't really a masterpiece. But it's still an interesting and impressive film. Recommended.