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Not Here To Be Loved (2005) Certificate 15

Not Here To Be Loved

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Rated 2.5 stars
Average rating
(52%)
 
Starring: Patrick Chesnais | Anne Consigny | Georges Wilson | Lionel Abelanski | Cyril Couton
Director: Stephane Brize
Studio: ARTIFICIAL EYE
Run time: 93 mins
Genres: Romance | World Cinema
Languages: French
Released: October 22, 2007

Enormously charming and affecting, 'Not Here To Be Loved' tells the story of world weary Jean-Claude (Patrick Chesnais) who, tired of his thankless job as a bailiff, decides on a whim to shake himself out of his rut by enrolling for tango lessons. There he meets Francoise (Anne Consigny), who is learning to dance in preparation for her impending wedding. Recognising in each other a mutual longing for something more from life, Jean-Claude and Francoise put aside their natural reserve and a tentative friendship develops that may just turn their lives upside down. Played with great depth and subtlety by Chesnais and Consigny, Stephane Brize's film is a tender and beautifully observed study of two people who have never quite learned to love or be loved.

Rating of 4 stars out of 5
Time Out

It would be a shame if writer-director Stephane Brizés delightful May-to-September romance is written off as one...

Highest rated reviews

18 out of 18 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 4.0 stars
A beautiful film

A Customer from London, 7th November, 2007

Don't listen to those negative reviews by people who don't like subtitled films. This is a ravishing and subtle film about love, desire and loss. The dancing between the two leads at different stages of the film really reflected the state of their relationship. The only puzzle I found was why she was so attracted to him when they only vaguely knew each other way back.

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9 out of 9 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 4.0 stars
romance inspiring

guy benton from london, 30th November, 2007

Really liked this film. Started a little slow but soon you realise this is because Jean-Claude leads the life of a bailiff and is bored of his daily routine and looking for something new. Liked how the film shows that it is possible to change things in your life to spice things up and not to be set in your ways, and then contrasts in the relationship between Jean-Claude and his Dad in the retirement home. The love story that develops is also not straight forward and to me reflects how this film portrays very well in this film how life is not perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and can recommend.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 3.0 stars
Slow but sweet tale

A Customer from London, 6th November, 2007

This very slow moving and rather unbelievable story was OK, but not essential viewing. The male lead was in his 50s, but looked older, and the female lead (20 years younger?) just would not have looked twice at him. Even her fiance looked much older than her, and it was difficult to believe such an attractive woman was not meeting younger men. The main characters make important decisions about their lives, so it ends satisfactorily. Only rent this if you can allow a film to very slowly unfold.

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6 out of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5.0 stars
Loved it !

A Customer from Devon, 14th December, 2007

Two people who have settled for what they have rather than what they want out of life attend a dance class, him for medically advised gentle exercise and her for her wedding dance. They discover there is more than they thought they wanted from life and more they can have.

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Most recent reviews

Rated 4.0 stars
Intense Passion

JNP from , 8th March, 2010

Understated humour and romance, a wonderful film. Some well observed and played socially awkward moments and a gentle humour throughout. If you can appreciate the things that are left unsaid more as well as those that are then you will enjoy this film. I suppose I will now have to admit to having enjoyed a romantic comedy!

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Rated 4.0 stars
A quietly French masterpiece

A Customer from London, 20th February, 2010

Riveting performances from Chesnais and especially Consigny turn this into a compelling drama. If you remotely enjoy French cinema you will love this film. The complete antithesis of Hollywood, a classic demonstration in the power of understatement.

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Rated 4.0 stars
It takes the French to Tango

Cirsh from , 20th January, 2010

In the first very scene we see that Jean-Claude (Patrick Chesnais) is a bailiff. We see his son come to work for him. Neither have the gift of conversation, and are very awkward with each other. Jean-Claude is aged around 50, and we see him visit his grumpy old father in a home. They play monopoly and don’t communicate either. Jean-Claude is a grey character living a meaningless life. Ah, but what’s this outside the window? Tango classes being taught at the dancing school opposite? He starts lessons and an old acquaintance introduces herself. Typically French, the film is often slow and intense but never boring. Why on earth, we have to wonder, would someone like Francoise (Anne Consigny), 10-15 years younger, ever be interested in Jean-Claude? Especially when she’s getting married to her writer partner. And especially as Jean-Claude works as a bailiff, apparently not seeing the injustice of turning poor people out of their homes! When we see her family squabbling over arranging places for the wedding meal, we begin to realise that maybe for Francoise, anything is better than that. They carry on dancing closer, dancing the tango.

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Rated 3.0 stars
Not here to be Loved

A Customer from Cranbrook, 2nd November, 2009

Lovely film in typically French cinema style. Easy watching.

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