DVD Review: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not is a completely enjoyable and engaging film starring Audrey Tautou (who, of course, will always be known for Amélie) as a woman in love with a married man, Loic (Samuel Le Bihan). It was released in theatres in 2002, and on DVD in 2003, but has long been out of print. Now a new DVD has been released by First Run Features.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not begins quietly, with Angelique (Audrey Tautou) among flowers of the brightest red. She is in a red top to match. She selects one flower which she wishes to send to her boyfriend as a surprise. The clerk tells her they don’t do deliveries for such small orders. But who could refuse Angelique’s smiling, radiant face? And off the delivery boy goes, while in the other direction Angelique rides off on her bicycle (which is also a bright red).

Angelique is an artist who has won a prestigious scholarship and must deliver fifteen paintings by the end of summer. She is house-sitting for a family while completing her work. Her boyfriend, Loic, is a cardiologist, and is married to a lawyer (but Angelique is certain he’ll be leaving her soon).

The film moves like a beautiful dream, with lovely music and fluid camera movements and bright colors to match Angelique’s passion and perspective. And like a dream, there is almost no need for transitions – we see her dancing, sneaking away for a private moment with Loic, then painting at the house where she’s staying.

She paints a portrait of Loic for his birthday, and lets him know she’ll see him soon. But as she waits at home, the music fades out, and the beautiful dream seems over – or at least on hold. And the film goes from reds dominating the screen to a shot of her in bed, alone, with blue dominating. We also see Loic in bed, his wife next to him, bathed in the same blue light.

Loic’s wife is pregnant, and as Angelique explains the situation to her two friends, we begin to see a less lovely side to her. She says: “The baby is just to trap him. She flaunts her fat belly! It’s just to stop him from leaving her.” And when Angelique begins to think things will work out again, the film returns to its dreamlike quality. She lives at the extremes of her emotions, and when things are not going as she wishes, she is unable to function. The film allows us to see things from her perspective, which is delightfully frightening. (And you have to feel for the poor family who asked her to house-sit.)

And then nearly halfway through the film, we go back to the beginning again, and enter Loic’s world and his perspective. And that’s when things really get interesting. While the first half is often like a dream, the second half is like a nightmare.

This movie really pulled me in. The characters and situations are compelling, and the performances are perfect. I love this film.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not was directed by Laetitia Colombani, and was released on DVD on April 14, 2015 through First Run Features. The DVD contains no special features. The film is presented in French, with English subtitles.