Title: Les Émotifs Anonymes
English Title:
- Anonymous Emotional Attachments
- The Romantics Anonymous (Romantics Anonymous)
- Belgium
- France
Year: 2010
Cast:
- Benoît Poelvoorde
- Isabelle Carré
- Lorella Cravotta
- Lise Lamétrie
- Swann Arlaud
- Pierre Niney
- Lise Lamétrie
- Jacques Boudet
SYNOPSIS
Jean-René Van Den Hugde owns La Fabrique de Chocolat, a family-run chocolate making company since 1896. He is an extremely sensitive person, and he is afraid of many different things.
The small company that Jean-René manages and owns is in danger of being bankrupt, and he is looking to hire a qualified salesperson to sell their chocolate to prospective customers.
Skilled and talented chocolatier Angélique Delange applies for the job opportunity assuming that the company is looking for a chocolate maker. Impressed by her knowledge of chocolate, Jean-René hires her right away and she finds out belatedly that she is now employed to sell chocolates.
Angélique is the worst person to go into sales because she's uncomfortable being the center of attention, and she blanks out when other people look at her or stare at her. When she approaches her boss to tell him about the mistake, Jean-René invites her out to dinner.
REVIEW
Les Émotifs Anonymes is an entertaining movie about two pathologically shy individuals as they try to deal with their issues as they live their lives.
It's the characters that make this film engaging, and skilled portrayal of the actors make the characters interesting and sympathetic. You'd want to get to know these characters, find out what they think of things, and root for them to succeed in their ordeals.
Angélique Delange has social anxiety issues, and she copes with it by singing encouraging songs such as I Have Confidence from the film The Sound of Music.
Angélique Delange: (I Have Confidence)
With each step I feel more sure
Everything will be fine
I am sure
The world is mine
They'll see me shine
For I truly believe in me.
I believe in me
When the sun beams
I believe in me
When the rain streams
I believe in the return of spring
And above all other things,
I truly believe in me.
Strength can't be measured in numbers
Nor can wealth, it is true
But peaceful nights of restful slumber
Mornings singing a gleeful number
My heart is strong
For it believes in me
I believe solely in my belief in me
And as it so happens,
I truly believe in me.
Angélique also gives herself pep talks to calm down, but she sometimes does it in public and other people are understandably confused with her habit of talking to herself.
The movie is also about chocolate in a way, though I wish there's more focus on the chocolate making process.
Jean-René Van Den Hugde: Because chocolate is a unique product. Too many people think of it as sweet, when in reality it's...
...
Angélique Delange: Bitterness sets it apart. Bitterness in varying degrees is what sets chocolate apart.
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Les Émotifs Anonymes
