CANNES 2021: Anaïs in Love ‘Les amours d'Anaïs’
CANNES 2021Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet's Anaïs in Love is a typically french but heart-warming and poignant examination of the affection and intimacy of love.
Anaïs Demoustier as the titular character leads the Bourgeois-Tacquet's feature with a fabulous performance. She is a character engulfed with tenderness but equally as sharp. Demoustier brings an organic warmth to this role that emotionally immerses the audience into this comedic drama and elevates the feature when it begins to flow into romanticisation and heartfelt romance. Interacting with multiple, distinctly orchestrated characters undeniably helps the brooding and setting for such a character to develop. However, it would not be out of place to suggest that Demoustier would be sure-fire to make this a compelling picture by the sheer talent of her own skill. How Demoustier's character internally – perhaps even subconsciously – wrestles with her demons of maturity and understanding of life offers the feature deeper and richer meaning.
Granted, the comedic sentiments are felt and help to inaugurate the viewer into Anaïs' life, but Bourgeois-Tacquet's film is not afraid to show a darker and claustrophobic feature regarding social commentary on financial constraints and the fact that just purely getting older becomes more conscious with time. The screenplay from writer-director Charline Bourgeois-Racquet wonderfully wrestles with a form of romantic and self-existentialism. A questioning of purpose and path that will undeniably resonate with audiences.
Equally as compelling is the feature’s camerawork and aesthetics, cinematographer Noé Bach and director Bourgeois-Tacquet orchestrate a conscious production design to relay and curate mood. Apartments and bedrooms are tight, ill-fitting, dark and moody to craft a subconscious approach to what the character is internally feeling. But compared to Anaïs' countryside retreat, the lens opens up with a broader and greater flush of colour that manifests itself in luxury and intrigue, again internally referring back to Anaïs' more profound awakening.
Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet's Anaïs in Love is a film audiences have seen in sizeable doses throughout the last few years. Nevertheless, director Bourgeois-Tacquet crafts a warming and beautiful feature with tenderness and affection: a film brimming with hope and love.
