Cheating Love (2006)

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

If you're into the genre, at least it's far better than Ozon's "8 femmes", even if it doesn't have the same bragging rights in terms of internationally known stars.Tough looking Gilles Lellouche is the only one who really sings, and to my surprise, pretty well. Mélanie Doutey does the same role we've seen before, the very feminine, pretty but not very bright female star. Julien Boisselier is pretty good as a Machiavellian character in disguise behind a "sensitive guy" facade. He composed a far more complex character the next year in "J'veux pas que tu t'en ailles" His "Raphaël" was a lonesome playboy, a bit like Laurent here. But this being a romantic comedy, don't expect a lot of character development. Alexandra Lamy is the most beautiful female in the film, but can's sing much. Don't miss her funny "guilty while very sexy" bed scene with Laurent, which by the way shows us glimpes of her great body. Mathieu Rozé is another surprise, specially for those who knew him as Lulu in the popular TV series "Central Nuit". The detective and other supporting roles are also well filled. Don't get me wrong, this film is fun to watch, specially if you're in the mood for light entertainment, but don't expect to be surprised by the plot or to get something believable. This very manipulative film is effective, even if as forgettable as any light Opera/ canzonetta. I agree with with Michael Hack from Frankfurt on IMDb that: "this kind of music, though sometimes pretty close to kitsch, that is so typical for France. Instead of expressing their feelings, the protagonists sing". Consequently, this film is a good introduction to modern French pop culture, specially for those who can't bear slow French movies. "aurlb from Paris" is right that the dancing while singing is off putting.Enjoy without expecting much.

I totally disagree with Thirty Love. "On connaît la chanson" is overrated and "On va s'aimer" is better written, funnier, more creative. The only aspect of the film which threw me off is the dancing during the songs. Also, it's not fair to compare "On va s'aimer" with "On connaît la chanson" for the sole reason that they have characters singing songs. The two films don't tell the same story. I totally disagree with Thirty Love. "On connaît la chanson" is overrated and "On va s'aimer" is better written, funnier, more creative. The only aspect of the film which threw me off is the dancing during the songs. Also, it's not fair to compare "On va s'aimer" with "On connaît la chanson" for the sole reason that they have characters singing songs. The two films don't tell the same story.

If you're going to rip off - or, as Jilly Adair would say, pay homage to - On Connait le Chanson it would help an awful lot if you had the writing and acting talent of Agnes Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri and the directorial skills of Alain Resnais. Sadly that is not the case here so what we are left with are some very ho-hum and sound-alike recent French pop songs and a flimsy story of four thirty-somethings who began life as two couples until Laurent (Julien Boisselier) tires of partner Camille (Melanie Doutey) and falls in lust with Elodie (Alexander Lamy) who is 'with' his best friend Francois (Gilles Lellouche). Boisselier is a fine light comedian/romantic leading man whom I've had occasion to praise in the past (Clara et Moi, Je m'en sens pas belle etc) and he doesn't really do anything wrong here - or at least nothing worse than signing up for the project in the first place - and Lamy and Doutey are likewise easy to take but it's possibly too domestic to score with a non-French audience.