The Fighters - Addestramento di vita

I much enjoyed this comedy drama movie. Mostly because of the convincing characters, especially the gal with men manners but so glamorous from a certain point of view. I loved her character. A Young woman in search of herself. Some exquisite sequences when the Young folks are voluntarily drafted. A pretty good try as a first long time feature for the Young director.

Made on locations in the South of France, at least I guess. A movie that doesn't tire you at all. No length. You have the feeling that it only lasts one hour.

A story that makes you think about the meaning of life, as the characters do for themselves. A film that also gives you a good feeling, a magic one towards nature. That's the way I felt this feature. But maybe I am wrong, maybe this was not the true message.

I'm a big fan of French films. It's true I haven't seen many of them, but they all had one thing in common: none of them have disappointed me. No matter if we are talking about a comedy, romance, thriller,... they always manage to provide excellent films. Even when the films are about "topics", which is the case of this film...

Summer-Boy-Girl. Sounds familiar right? Not that fast. As a quick recap for this film works, but just for that. You are not going to find here the classical "summer love" story. Weird moments, funny moments, romantic moments, even about-life-reflections moments, the story will keep you engaged from first minute till end. The main two characters are awesome (Madeleine weird-tough-lovely combination rocks). They show up in almost 100% of the scenes, but you never get tired of them. Fantastic work by the main two actors, there was a lot of chemistry between them on film.

This film is not only going to give you a 1h30min of good time, it is also going to provide you a feel-good sensation for the rest of the day. So don't hesitate and give a shoot to this film!

There seems to be some confusion regarding the genre of this film. Both Wikipedia and the film's official website claim it to be a romantic comedy. While there is a faint streak of romance in here, comedy only peeks inside a couple times from the far window.

In this coming-of-age story about two wanderers, played exceptionally by Haenel and Azais, the point made is that of survival. Sampling metaphor in its most basic form, the lead characters explore the idea of survival in a world which is ever inching closer to extinction. At least that's what one of them thinks. That living life by not doing anything specific is what survival means, remarks the other, eventually giving rise to a romantic connexion.

The story is well-written and is driven forward with brilliant use of electronic music and an even pace. However, the story turns flat towards the end, making the whole setup look like it was all about letting the characters fall in love, which in the Hollywood happens just after two pints of beer.

I might have chuckled a couple times, but that's it. So people who are expecting to laugh out should check their options. Otherwise, it is a delightful drama which will most probably bring a smile on your face. The depiction of nature is also enchanting.

BOTTOM LINE: Love at First Fight will be an enjoyable ride to those who seek pleasure in nature, small things, and blooming romance.

GRADE: C+. A good afternoon watch.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO

Nudity/Sex: Medium

I saw this movie with my high school (I'm French, so I apologize if I make any languages mistakes), and really liked it.

The actors really did a great job, and during the whole movie, their acting seemed really natural. The characters have very different points of view on the future and group life. Madeleine is trying to be self-sufficient in expectation of the apocalyptic future she believes in. To Arnaud, future means the end of the summer, and in the first part of the movie, his family takes the decisions for him. Even though, their love-story is believable, and Adèle Haenel and Kevin Azaïs made a great on-screen couple ! Also, the score is really lively and goes well with the movie. This movie is very different of most of the recent French movies, and it's a good thing if it worked, I hope it will stimulate others French directors to make different movies.

A really good first long time feature for Thomas Cailley, and I encourage everyone to see "Love at first fight" ! To me, it doesn't deserve a 8 or more out of 10, but this is a different movie from what we are used to see. Sometimes, this movie is a comedy, or a rom com, but it also is a movie about the army and the survival in a wild place.

Starring Adele Haenel and Kevin Azais

Written by Thomas Cailley and Claude Le Pape

Directed by Thomas Cailley

It's a while since I've watched a foreign subtitled movie and this is one of those hidden gems that you sometimes find on the TV listings.

It's a boy meets girl romance with a difference. It's quirky, wonderfully understated and quite mesmerizing to watch. This is a gentle film without any big plots or car chases but I really enjoyed it. It's well written with a nice touch of humour throughout.

Good film.

8/10