Charming and funny, Eric Capitaine’s debut feature film LOVE IS DEAD brings humour and warmth to the dreaded ‘break-up’
There are many dating clubs, so why not breaking clubs? That is the concept behind Eric Capitaine’s first feature film LOVE IS DEAD, a quirky rom-com about the unavoidable part of any relationship – the break-up.
LOVE IS DEAD tells the story of Mathias Lonisse, a young entrepreneur and proud founder of ‘Love is Dead’, a company which specialises in relationship break-ups. Mathias takes great care in his job and carries out each mission with a high degree of professionalism, until one day, his successful business backfires when his own mother asks him to break up with his father for her.
At a time when consumerism is applied to almost every element in a relationship, the concept behind LOVE IS DEAD seems quite credible. Without falling into the absurd, Capitaine manages to bring humour and warmth to the well-written script to deliver a charming, funny and surprisingly clever film.
Of course, in true rom-com style, love ends up taking its own revenge on Mathias, a man disconnected from all romantic relationships. Along the way, he meets Juliette who has just lost her job and decides to join the start-up, learning about this intriguing profession along the way, as well as the man behind it.
Much of the success also lies in the charm of its interpreters. Benjamin Lavernhe shines as the quick-witted Mathias whose sensitivity is gradually revealed as the film develops while Elisa Ruschke is equally strong as Juliette, the sensitive and applied student. The pair ooze charisma and chemistry on the screen and bring out the subtlety and humour of the script.
But as the film develops, the comedy starts to take priority over the rest and some of the sub-stories are never really fully concluded. The comic palette of the film also willingly goes into excess through a string of colourful secondary characters including Camille Chamoux’s Clarisse, an hysterical ex of a client who won’t let go and Jérôme Niel’s Julien, serial dater and long-term subscriber of ‘Love is Dead’.
That said, this is a charming and funny debut, which despite its predictable script, is an enjoyable watch.
LOVE IS DEAD screened at the Manchester Film Festival on 3 March 2018.
Donna is the Founder and Editor of Frankly, My Dear UK. By day, she works as a digital marketing specialist, by night she reviews film, theatre and music for a wide range of publications including WhatsonStage and The Reviews Hub. Loves Formula 1, prosecco and life.
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