Le goût des merveilles

Fascinating story of an asperger man accidentally meeting a woman, both made for each other. Well done and convincing.

Viginie Efira's husband died doing a dangerous sport. Now with two children and an in- debt pear farm she meets Benjamin Lavernhe who is trying to escape from a state official trying to analyze his danger to the state. He has hacked into some high level documents. When hit by Virginie's car, Benjamin goes home with her and discovers he loves her, her children, and the farm. He is good looking, honest, and the children find him very appealing. Benjamin does get analyzed and decides he wants to live with Virginie. His sense of wonder has captured the family. Since autism and all levels on the spectrum are everywhere, this story is completely relevant. Of course people on the spectrum will fall in love and finally feel it is where they belong. Sense of Wonder shows how an open heart and mind can inspire hope and changes.

My good friend writer's reign likes it;as he is a true French cinema connoisseur,I decided to have a look at " a sense of wonder" .

In westerns,the subject of the widow with a ranch to run is common; generally a handsome cowboy comes to the rescue ; in melodramas ,in Sirk's or Stahl 's works,particularly ,the widow may be actually an unwed mom ,but sometimes the mother does her walk of life in business.

Well,Louise is a widow with two children ;her tree cultivation family business is not really thriving ,there's a mortgage hanging on her head,and the man from the bank is a hateful macho:"it was your husband's job".

Up comes a man ;you're going to say :" even though their first encounter does not bode well,they will be in bed after twenty minutes "

Pas Du Tout

Pierre has a very high HQ :a computer wiz, a law expert , and above all a prime numbers lover :Louise is 37,what a beautiful number though he prefers 23 ! The clouds in the sky are prime numbers in disguise . Pierre is also an autistic ,a cousin of Dustin Hoffman 's "rain man " -who was brilliant at mental arithmetic - a man whose fate is to stay marginal ,unable to integrate the society ,apart from an old bookseller ...and maybe Louise..

Pierre and Louise will meet ,but only at the end of the movie ;it's a long way to love and understanding.Although very educated -and a bit pedantic- ,the man has his own way of thinking ,his own logic,his own rules which challenge the established order :for many people ,he is an outcast ; the golden rule of society you are part of is: it's all right provided you keep within the norm .

It's a feel-good movie ,but unlike bland flicks such " Les Chaises Musicales " or " L'Echappée Belle" ,it's ,in spite of its finer feelings ,a pretty work,with a nice cinematography (nature and sky) fine score,and excellent acting by Virginie Efira ,and mainly Benjamin Lavernhe ,De La Comédie Française ,in a complex part in which he achieves the feat of moving us with a restrained ,almost robotic performance .

"Inspiré Par Une Fée Réelle " (=n inspired by a real fairy) parodies the classic last (or first) sentence: "inspired by real facts" (Inspiré De Faits Réels ) ;Fait(fact) and Fée (fairy ) are homonyms in French.

It may be a fairy tale :with his "magic wand" ,(represented by the computer ) the wizard gets the house from the clutches of the bank,and saves the day ,including the boy's problems in maths and the daughter who is beyond her mom's authority.It may be Frank Capra's spirit who inspired Eric Besnard.

Filled with the wonders of Nature, and great cinematography of the Rhone/Alpes region of France. Beautiful story, also, about the wonders of the human mind and of altruistic Love. Sooo refreshing, compared to typical Hollywood fare. . . .

... since I first saw it in the cinema. Whenever I feel down or depressed - this is my choice! So, just sit back and enjoy <3