Picture: Netflix
Before returning with the fourth season of Lupin and an Extraction Shared Universe series, Omar Sy is at the forefront of one anticipated entry for Netflix’s 2025 French lineup: the slick rom-com French Lover. But should you watch it?
The premise for French Lover reeks of Notting Hill: Abel Camara (Omar Sy) is both a French superstar and a playboy, who is dealing with a private crisis after his ex very publicly dumps him for another man right before the premiere of his new blockbuster. While he is on edge, he visits a chic bar in downtown Paris and has a rough (some might say rude) first encounter with waitress Marion (Sara Giraudeau), who is on the brink of a messy divorce and is there to earn enough money to keep her apartment. Marion has no time for her ways and, berated by her boss, quits in no time. Feeling sorry for the situation, Abel insists on making it up to her… And that’s how French Lover starts, which is coincidentally the corny perfume brand Abel makes advertisements for.
On certain projects, Netflix gives a shot to first-time creators or directors, and that holds true here, with Nina Rives helming a high-end movie with flashy, large-scale production values and a Dolby Atmos mix to boot. She is surrounded by tried-and-true talent, such as Hugo Gélin, who made waves with his own high-concept rom-com Love at Second Sight and acts as an executive producer and creative shepherd on the project; and Noémie Saglio, a comedy veteran known by Netflix fans for co-creating Plan Coeur/The Hook-Up Plan. The trio delivers a very earnest take on the genre: French Lover does not deceive the audience with either raunchy comedy or overly dramatic twists. Loosely based on the little-known Israeli series A Very Important Person, it focuses on somewhat aspirational romanticism and is determined to make the chemistry between its leads work, just as its characters do.
French Lover knows its target audience, and ultimately delivers the goods: as Abel Camara, Sy is making the best use of his charm and million-euro smile, as well as his easygoing demeanor and wit, to dispose of an opponent. All qualities that helped make Lupin into a global hit. Playing an obvious “take” on himself and his A-list environment, Rives uses the character to take us behind the scenes of the glamorous world of French (non-indie) cinema, its awards, its media appearances, its tabloid fodder, and tutti quanti. As it accepts the reality of this character just as it does with Hollywood stars, French Lover is not here to provide cutting commentary or even jabs at the industry. Instead, it utilizes Marion and the entire talent of Sara Giraudeau to ground its glamorous universe and lend some semblance of honesty to its relationship.
Sara Giraudeau and Omar Sy on set. (Cr : Netflix)
At its best, even using all the tropes of the genre – including a waltz of cumbersome exes on both sides – French Lover offers a two-hander between two comedians with opposite abilities, which attracts. More known as the female lead in The Bureau/Le Bureau des Légendes, Giraudeau feeds no-nonsense, sensible but honest beats and comic rhythms to Sy’s raw charisma. As Abel unfolds like a tornado and somewhat thrusts Marion into the spotlight, the best scenes of the movie are extended squabbles of dialogue where both characters and comedians go beyond the superficial “mismatched, chance relationship” premise to delve into a heartwarming dynamic.
That is not to say that everything works, of course. French Lover, in order to wear its Richard Curtis-bred heart on its sleeve, asks us many times to suspend our credulity with a series of accidental encounters – and accidents, full stop. While plot holes do not abound, some of the secondary characters are barely present and do not provide insight into the chaotic relationship life of Marion and Abel before their meeting. After a first half that dwells on the chaos, this does not help matters in its second half, as obstacles and tumult are both entirely expected and not sharply written enough to engage the audience. If French Lover sustains its charm throughout, it also lacks a bit of identity by the end, and disappoints by letting go of interesting red herrings, such as the competition between Abel and another star, who happens to have ended up with his ex-girlfriend. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if Netflix France doubles up on this type of honest-to-goodness romantic comedies with other projects.
MVP of French Lover
Agnès Hurstel as Estelle
As we mentioned, some of the supporting cast is not really well served by the writing. Alban Ivanov, as Abel’s best friend and day-one believer, Sami barely registers, but some other characters fare better. As Estelle, Marion’s sister and a married lawyer, Agnès Hurstel flexes her comedy chops, honed over years of stand-up, as well as in the little-seen French show Jeune et Goliard. As her character gets uncharacteristically horny at the sight of Abel Camara, Hurstel infuses the proceedings with snark and quite a few laughs.
Verdict of French Lover
A fine, slickly directed rom-com elevated by a comfortable pace and a good handle on the genre. The performances make this project stand out, as the plot gets a little distracted by its relationship drama.
What did you think of Netflix France’s rom-com? Let us know in the comments!
