Les choses qu’on dit, les choses qu’on fait (2020)

Directed by: Emmanuel Mouret | 122 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Camélia Jordana, Niels Schneider, Vincent Macaigne, Émilie Dequenne, Jenna Thiam, Guillaume Gouix, Julia Piaton, Jean-Baptiste Anoumon, Fanny Gatibelza, Claude Pommereau, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Milla Savarese, Lise Lomi, Sarah Capony, Catherine Lecoq, Sacha Requiem

‘Les choses qu’on dit, les choses qu’on fait’ (‘The things we say, the things we do’) by director Emmanuel Mouret deals with the complexity of relationships. Love, desire, lust and desire. What is real love? What do we do with desires and desires? When does lust turn into love and can it happen the other way around?

Pregnant Daphné (Camélia Jordana) and her boyfriend François (Vincent Macaigne) are staying for a short break in the French countryside. Here they are visited by François’ cousin Maxime (Niels Schneider from ‘Les amours imaginaires’). Since François has to be unexpectedly in Paris, it is up to Daphné to receive Maxime alone and entertain him for a few days. They get to know each other and soon share stories about their love affairs.

Maxime tells that he was dumped by the married Victoire (Julia Piaton), with whom he had an affair. By chance, he runs into her sister Sandra (Jenna Thiam). He used to have feelings for this woman. Daphné tells how she met François. She works with a director, David. She has a soft spot for him, but when he doesn’t reciprocate her feelings, she falls for the advances of the timid, bleeding marriage, François.

Maxime moves in with his friend Gaspard (Guillaume Gouix), who is now dating Agnes. When things go a bit less between these two, something blossoms between Agnes and Maxime. However, according to her, it is only pleasure, desire and not real love. Daphné also strongly doubts whether she should continue with the married François. Almost immediately afterwards, his wife Louise says that she ‘met someone else’. A month later, they are even invited for coffee with Louise and her new boyfriend. Gaspard breaks up with Agnes, but Maxime decides to leave their house, as Agnes doesn’t seem to be able to go all out for him. He also feels guilty for cheating on his friend Gaspard… And that’s not all.

In short: complications, love triangles everywhere. Larded with meaningful quotes such as ‘Love is not about possessing, love owns nothing’ (from David’s last film, of course) and ‘Everyone does mimetime, that is, being desired by the desire of another’, the latter according to Daphné.

There is a lot of talking in this romantic morality sketch, you have to be in the mood for that. However, because we become part of intelligent insights about what love consists of for everyone independently, ‘Les choses qu’on dit, les choses qu’on fait’ still scores a large enough. The protagonists are evenly matched and the natural acting makes you believe the characters. In any case, the film makes you think, because of course we all make mistakes when it comes to ‘love’. New ideas in this area are of course always welcome, aren’t they?