‘L’amour Ouf’ Review: Between Gangsters And Romance
Set in 1980s France, L’amour ouf (Beating Hearts, 2024) is a captivating and emotional adaptation of Thomas Neville's novel Jackie Loves Johnser OK?, directed by the acclaimed Gilles Lellouche. A hugely celebrated film in France, it owes much of its appeal to the impressive cast with performances that have stunned. This adaptation compounds ideas of love and class, but while watching it, I wondered: What is the allure of this film?
After being expelled from her school, Jackie meets Clotaire, who tries desperately to impress her. Despite their different backgrounds, they fall madly in love. Jackie, raised in a stable family, dreams of turning her life around and pursuing an education, while Clotaire, who comes from a working-class background, is no longer in school and is involved in delinquency. Despite, life’s attempts to tear them apart, their connection is magnetic.
Although their love story is charming, is there anything truly mad or profound about it? For nearly three hours, I sat through a cliché tale: a boy on the path to becoming a gangster and a girl from a good family falling in love. In the film’s first half, I grasped the ‘madness’ of the narrative; the eye contact dynamics, the power of first love, and the idea that actions speak louder than words. However, in the latter half, as they grew older, the madness of their love was lost. I didn’t quite understand how their love could remain so powerful, beyond the typical teenage romance. Overwhelmed by its many themes - violence, love, and class - the film sometimes puts the love story on the back burner.
Nevertheless, the visuals and score are nothing short of sensational. The rhythm of the narrative is founded on its original soundtrack, which carries the story forward. Each song conveys a different feeling, drawing us into the central love story. A Forest by The Cure accompanies a strong unexpected dance scene that captures the moment they realise they are falling in love. The film’s use of colour mirrors the evolution of both characters; a richer, warmer colour palette as their love blossoms, shifting to a colder, greyish one as soon as they become adults and their life choices catch up to them. What struck me most, however, was Vincent Lacoste’s exceptional performance. His acting reached beyond the screen, and the scene of violence against Jackie conveyed fear and anger in a way that I think resonated with me profoundly as a woman.
L'amour ouf (Beating Hearts) is a captivating film, elevated by its excellent music choices. However, I found the story somewhat predictable and lacking in depth and the use of violence feels gratuitous, offering little to the overall narrative. That said, the film’s simplicity may be its true strength—there’s a quiet, unsettling madness in how love, in its most clichéd form, can be so uncomplicated.
Edited by Humaira Valera, Co-film & TV editor
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