Les Emotifs Anonymes (English title: Romantics Anonymous, 2010)
Dir. Jean-Pierre Ameris; starring Benoit Poelvoorde and Isabelle Carre
The score: 5/5!
Les Emotifs Anonymes is an absolutely charming, 100% delightful French romantic comedy that all at once includes sadness, laughs and cuteness as it follows two socially anxious chocolatiers who fall in love.
Angelique is a secret chocolate expert who has been creating some of France’s most beloved chocolates… but she also suffers from terrible anxiety and is rather emotional. So instead of taking credit for these wonderful dessert creations, she pretends that they’re actually made by a reclusive man and that she is only a delivery girl. The only people who learn her secret are the fellow members of a support group for the overly emotional.
Jean owns his own chocolate company, but it’s in danger of financial ruin and he has a reputation among his staff of being a mean man. He also suffers from anxiety, especially in romantic relationships.
The two come together when Angelique’s distributor passes away and she’s forced to find a new job to keep from revealing her identity. With a shared passion for chocolate and hidden affections for each other, Angelique and Jean struggle to overcome their social obstacles.
Outstanding lead performances are given by Poelvoorde and Carre, and they perfectly embody the type of awkward-but-adorable chemistry needed to make the film great.
NOTABLE QUOTES:
- Angelique: “Hi, I’m Angelique. Emotional.” (Faints)
- Angelique (looking at notecards with conversation points): “International politics? No. Football? No. Art? Art.”
- Jean: “I’d like to ask her to spend some time with me… maybe even the whole time. We’ll make chocolate together forever… if she loves me. Because she’s pretty as a picture. That’s all.”
The Motion Pictures 