Anaïs in love is not your typical romantic comedy. In fact, some people might not even see it as one. The film, which marks the directorial debut of writer-director Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet, tells a stunning and charming story about a woman whose restless pursuit of pleasure leads her to seek the mate of a man with whom she previously had an affair. In tone, attitude and presentation Anaïs in love has more in common with the films of Éric Rohmer and Noah Baumbach than with When Harry met Sally or notting hill.
but Anaïs in love also has everything a good romantic comedy needs. It has a playful sense of humor from the first to the last scene, several laughable jokes and visual gags, and two charming, charismatic performances by Anaïs Demoustier and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. It’s also bursting at the seams with joy and romance, offering one of the most delightful inversions of the standard rom-com meet cute from every film in recent years.
Bourgeois-Tacquet and Demoustier spoke to Digital Trends about creating the film’s unique love story. They also reveal how their filmmaking collaboration began, and talk about what Demoustier calls the “intricate, paradoxical process” of getting inside the head of a character who refuses to be analyzed.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Digital Trends: The first thing I’m curious about is how did you two meet and how did that lead? Anaïs in love?
Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet: We met when I was writing my short film Pauline Asservie, which was produced by Stéphane Demoustier, and when it came to casting the main character, we both thought of Anaïs, who happens to be Stéphane’s sister. Anaïs was an actress that I admired a lot, but I didn’t really dare to ask her for a role, but Stéphane encouraged me, so I got in touch.
Anaïs read the script and seemed to like it, so we met for coffee and hit it off. Our collaboration on the short film was so wonderful that it was clear that we would continue to work together for a long time.
Anaïs is very scattered at the beginning of the film, but she always feels safe. How did the two of you work together to cross that line between busy and chaotic but also single-minded?
Anaïs Demoustier: I wasn’t sure if I would like her. That’s something I’ve worried about at times. For those moments when her reactions were further removed from me and my own personality, I really tried to get into her mind and understand where she came from to convey the emotional transitions she goes through throughout the film . As an actress, I’ve done that. In doing so, I realized how much more enjoyable it is to play this type of character. She has such a scandalous personality.
Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet: I think the key to this character is the fact that she’s a young woman who follows her desires, and it just so happens that sometimes there has to be collateral damage. I was interested in writing comedy and I knew that because Anaïs was playing her, it would bring a presence to the character that would allow me to push her actions quite far while remaining lovable. The idea was that she follows her desire and we follow her, and that was a story that I trusted very much and I trusted that Anaïs would find the right balance as a performer.
I think the movie is one of the most interesting rom-coms I’ve seen in a long time. The way Anaïs falls in love with Emilie before she even meets her feels like a deliberate riff on a typical movie meetup — cute. Was it?
Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet: I’m not very familiar with the romantic comedy genre. It’s something I haven’t seen often, so it wasn’t really something I had in mind while making this film. But I wanted to make a film about love, and I wanted it to be a comedy, so all those things are there. As for the length of her introduction to Emilie, I think you’re right that it’s a reversal.
You know, I would say her first real encounter with Emilie is natural when she sees the picture of her. But there is this very important, pivotal moment that happens when Anaïs is in Emilie’s bathroom and sees Emilie’s things. The way that plays out fits your point: it’s sort of their first real interaction, and it’s a reversal. The progressive nature of this attraction is that it doesn’t begin as a physical attraction. It starts as intellectual attraction and it is the resulting curiosity that leads Anaïs to Emilie.
Anaïs, how did you find your way into the character? She doesn’t have many introspective moments in the film.
Anaïs Demoustier: Hmm, that’s right. It was a somewhat complicated, paradoxical process. For me, it was a genuine trust in Charline’s writing, which is such an engine for action, that I was able to hold on to. It allowed me to be in that state of constant abundance where she talks too much and runs too much.
It was a very physical process for me to get into the character, but once that was underway, the balance between her actions and her own sense of self became kind of obvious, because I realized that someone who’s so external is on some points must be balanced in another, inner way.
Anaïs in love hits theaters on April 29th and will be available to stream on-demand on May 6th.
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