He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (À la folie... pas du tout) (2002)

73% of critics liked it
(71 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(22,256 ratings)

He Loves Me ... He Loves Me Not is a black comedy with a dramatic twist. Talented art student Angélique (Audrey Tautou) is wildly in love with Loïc (Samuel Le Bihan of Brotherhood of the Wolf), a married cardiologist whose wife, Rachel (Isabelle Carré) is expecting their first child. She sends him… More He Loves Me ... He Loves Me Not is a black comedy with a dramatic twist. Talented art student Angélique (Audrey Tautou) is wildly in love with Loïc (Samuel Le Bihan of Brotherhood of the Wolf), a married cardiologist whose wife, Rachel (Isabelle Carré) is expecting their first child. She sends him mash notes and gifts, and tells her friend, Héloïse (Sophie Guillemin of With a Friend Like Harry...) that, despite appearances, Loïc plans to leave his wife. Angélique also ignores the attentions of her lovesick friend, David (Clément Sibony), who begins to resent the way Loïc treats Angélique. As Angélique grows less discreet in her affections, Loïc's home life begins to fall apart. His wife grows suspicious, and then miscarries. His career is jeopardized when a patient accuses him of assault. All the while, Angélique is desperate to be by his side. About 40 minutes in, writer/director Laetitia Colombani's film reverses perspective, showing the preceding events from Loïc's (very different) point-of-view. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Laetitia Colombani
Written By: Laetitia Colombani
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 27, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Aug 12, 2003
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Company

Critic Reviews

Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Nothing can prepare you for the twisty -- and twisted -- details the 26-year-old Colombani almost fiendishly brings to her story of misguided love.
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic
A thriller that doesn't thrill.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
It's more clever than brilliant, but folding two radically different interpretations of a kind gesture, a chance encounter and a Nat King Cole song heard on a car radio is a great trick.
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A dazzling diversion with dark undertones.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The film is deft, delicious work, but a very different romantic fantasy than you probably expect.
Tom Long, Detroit News
A pretty nifty mystery about deranged love, and if nothing is truly startling, it's still smartly put together and completely entertaining.
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
It's about love, obsession and revenge and Tautou bewitches us from the very first scene
Larry Carroll, Big Picture
A film that does more twisting than Chubby Checker...If only more Hollywood directors were as clever.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
The execution doesn't quite come together, mostly because of an unnecessary "Memento"-like structure, but the film is still a clever look at romantic obsession.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
A fascinating premise, but the film isn't quite grouned enough to strike the chords it strives for.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
An unsettling and often creepy little thriller, which at first appears to be fairly straightforward but then gets much craftier and considerably more interesting.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
Colombani's double-sided view of events works like a jigsaw puzzle, but you may get the chills every time you learn where a new piece connects to an earlier one.
Scott Von Doviak, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
An off-kilter 'romance' with a wicked streak of dark humor.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

Decent movie, with an interesting twist that I wasn't expecting. A gimmick maybe, but a cleverly employed one that works thanks in no small part to the smart writing, and good performances. As typical for most French fims, this was a little slow...but ejoyable enough.
Nicki M

This was one of the best French movies I have seen in a long time! Half of it is from Angelique's point of view (Audrey Tautou), such a happy, sweet girl that you really feel bad for her that she's being messed around by this married jerk. It is at this point, very… More
This was one of the best French movies I have seen in a long time! Half of it is from Angelique's point of view (Audrey Tautou), such a happy, sweet girl that you really feel bad for her that she's being messed around by this married jerk. It is at this point, very visually pretty to look at - lots of reds and hearts, and of course Audrey is very beautiful. Then it switches as .....SPOILER....... Angelique decides to kill herself, and the story starts over again, giving you the chance to see what actually happened from point of view of the married man. Suddenly you realise Angelique is not exactly all she seems!
Curtis L

The French keep on making good movies. This one at a glance would seem like a romantic poop ship, but it is really rather amazing. Without giving it away, it follows a girl's side of the story, then halfway through the movie switches to the beginning showing the guys side, and… More
The French keep on making good movies. This one at a glance would seem like a romantic poop ship, but it is really rather amazing. Without giving it away, it follows a girl's side of the story, then halfway through the movie switches to the beginning showing the guys side, and they are so different it's amazing how it could be twisted to make one storyline. Very good stuff, and Audrey Tautou is a psycho.
Sarah G

Angelique, a young student, is in love with a married doctor. We see her attempts to make him leave his pregnant wife, but he does not appear for meetings or finally the booked journey to Florence. For a film in which the plot seems very predictable and obvious it didn;t become… More
Angelique, a young student, is in love with a married doctor. We see her attempts to make him leave his pregnant wife, but he does not appear for meetings or finally the booked journey to Florence. For a film in which the plot seems very predictable and obvious it didn;t become that way towards the end of the film. It starts of as an affair, what we are led to believe, from one point of view seemed predictable at one point. The use of two narratives worked well as it gave a whole new slant on the film. Chnaged it from a avergae affirs to a dangerous liason which we evntually find out about. The re-wind technique of different perspectives, descended from the Japanese "Rashomon," has combined entertainment with philosophical insight by the German Tom Tykwer, in such as "Run Lola Run," and with socio-political commentary in the Mexican "Amores Perros." Add in the American know-how of creepiness from "Fatal Attraction" and "One Hour Photo," and the French writer/director Laetitia Colombani, mais oui, applies it all to matters of the heart. She uses both a rational and visual approach to an enormously entertaining take on "she says, he says"/"he loves she who is in love with he who is in love with she" etc. that is an unpredictable roller coaster. Our other stereotypical assumptions also lead to other surprises. Unlike Hollywood, this movie respects our intelligence, and leaves us to figure out what's going on and anticipate what will happen after the end. Just like it took awhile to feel good about "Singing in the Rain" after seeing "Clockwork Orange" and a certain classic rock song after "Reservoir Dogs," you may get a frisson of the creepies from Nat King Cole after this. Audrey Tatou plays a role totally different from her role as Amelie, in the 2001 film. From the outset her character appears innocent and I felt sympathy for her and especially her friend who just wanted to be with her. She certainly changed my opion on her acting. What I loved at the end of the film was the fact it wasn't predicatble at atll. HAving the two narratives, told by two different perspectives before that made be think I knew what was coming. What a twist at the end! What the director does well is making the audience think they know what's going to happen but the tables are turned at the end as I said before. I loved the photography which makes the film seem innocent from the beginning. Also gives a brilliant landscap ideology of France. Just brilliant. Overall worth the watch for Tatou's performance. Just don't expect a romantic film because it just isn't.
Drew S

Audrey Tautou is amazingly talented. This movie is a fresh, original mystery with a ton of life and some really inspired camerawork. I'd really like to see it again soon.
Panta O

Audrey Tautou is one of my favourite actresses but in this role as Angélique - a successful art student who has won a scholarship, she is interesting and intriguing... but fails to be exceptional! A movie which I'll recomend - romantic thriler with few twists, but do not expect… More
Audrey Tautou is one of my favourite actresses but in this role as Angélique - a successful art student who has won a scholarship, she is interesting and intriguing... but fails to be exceptional! A movie which I'll recomend - romantic thriler with few twists, but do not expect too much!
Doctor S

Excellent, completely unexpected twist in this French romance-thriller with the plucky Audrey Tautou in one of her first starring roles following <i>Amelie</i>, a casting choice which the film I believe cognizantly used to take clever advantage of our expectations. The… More
Excellent, completely unexpected twist in this French romance-thriller with the plucky Audrey Tautou in one of her first starring roles following <i>Amelie</i>, a casting choice which the film I believe cognizantly used to take clever advantage of our expectations. The less you know beforehand the better - for one thing, DO NOT watch the misleading trailer! - and those who enjoy it the most will have paid attention during the first half.
Sunil J

Mixed feeling on this. The first half is just okay but the second part adds an amazing twist.
FanGirl B

A great film, instant favorite. I recommed it to everyone, no matter how you feel about this film in the beginning make sure to watch it at least a little way past half way through and trust me once you make it to half way through you'll know what I mean. Everyone I know who… More
A great film, instant favorite. I recommed it to everyone, no matter how you feel about this film in the beginning make sure to watch it at least a little way past half way through and trust me once you make it to half way through you'll know what I mean. Everyone I know who has seen, has loved.