The Names of Love

R

Released Jul 15, 2011

1 hr. 24 min.

Romance

Comedy

List

73%

52 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A sheltered scientist (Jacques Gamblin) and a sexy political activist (Sara Forestier) have a May-December romance.

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Weston T

Despite name, actually really fucking good. Note the nice child friendly grocery store sequence. Also dead geese.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

-Spoiler- Movie shows the fact of being abused , how affective that would be on feelings and how that would effect people's life. My favourite quote of movie is ; In junior high, I won't go out with boys as I'm scared they'll gind out I have a problem with sex. In high school I sleep around as I'm scared they'll find out I have a problem with sex. So my future career I have 2 choices; pedophile or whore. I'll choose whooring.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Voilà une comédie romantique fraîche et intelligente et c'est vrai que la petite Sara Forestier y est pour beaucoup. Je sais, c'est une Sara mais y'a pas de H.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Names of Love is a unique a romantic comedy unlike any other. It starts off rather slow, with the two main leads narrating their childhood in documentary fashion. Its going for a Amelie vibe, but this back story is kind of boring but absolutely necessary when it comes to the story later. Opposites attract when two distinct personalities collide. Baya Benmahmoud is a liberal free-love spirit, while Arthur Martin is a straight laced scientists from a strict puritanical family. They hit it off, despite them being the exact opposite in terms of politics. Also hiding in plain sight is their tumultuous back stories, which also provides conflict. There are plenty of sure fire laughs spread throughout, with plenty of charm. Its the two leads who really shine, as they feel like real characters with their extreme differences, and a pure sense of on-screen chemistry. The Name of Love is a very well done romantic comedy, in the tradition of Amelie or screwball comedies of the 40's.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

finally something fresh.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Les bÃ¢tards sont l'avenir de l'humanitÃ©!"

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

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Michel Leclerc

Director

Jacques Gamblin

Arthur Martin

Sara Forestier

Baya Benmahmoud

Zinedine Soualem

Mohamed Benhmamoud

Carole Franck

Cécile Delivet Benmahmoud

Jacques Boudet

Lucien Martin

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73%

71%

Populaire

67%

63%

TiMER

41%

46%

The Rebound

40%

48%

The Last Word

0%

36%

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Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

What is so surprising -- even exhilarating -- about The Names of Love is that it shucks off the desultory roadblocks that engine the modern romantic comedy.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 21, 2011

Full Review

Roger Moore

Orlando Sentinel

There's a taste of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Something Wild" "Forces of Nature" and even "Bringing Up Baby," perhaps the best of the wild child-seduces-straight arrow romances.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 4, 2011

Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

It's always entertaining, and it boasts a terrific performance from Sara Forestier.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 1, 2011

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

Every bit as anonymous and lost as its cartoonish, cookie cutter characters, who whittle down the cultural complexities of a diverse France into a stale and toothless romantic comedy.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 6, 2019

Full Review

Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Examiner

A film with such a clever premise could easily slide from satire to silliness. But "The Names of Love is fun without being too farcical.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 8, 2019

Full Review

Sean Burns

Philadelphia Weekly

Inspires a strange fascination, thanks mostly to an sometimes awe-inspiring indifference to matters of propriety or good taste.

May 3, 2015

Full Review

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Synopsis

A sheltered scientist (Jacques Gamblin) and a sexy political activist (Sara Forestier) have a May-December romance.

Director: Michel Leclerc
Screenwriter: Michel Leclerc, Baya Kasmi
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Delante Films, TPS Star, Karé Productions, Sofica Valor 7, Canal+, Banque Populaire Images 10, TF1 Droits Audiovisuels, Région Ile-de-France, Uni Étoile 7
Rating: R (Some Language|Sexual Content|Graphic Nudity)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: French (Canada)
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 15, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 6, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $513.2K
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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