Not Here to be Loved

Jean Claude ( Patrick Chesnais ) is a middle-aged bailiff, world-weary and embittered both by his job and his life as a divorcee. His son is a spineless everyman and his father uses sour sarcasm to taunt him.

 But from the window of his squalid office Jean Claude sees a tango ballroom and decides to enrol for  lessons.
There he meets the young and charming Françoise, who is learning how to tango for her forthcoming wedding. Electricity runs between the two from the start, but their untold attraction takes unpredictable turn when Françoise has to confess to her wedding plans.  
With a minimalist and down-to-earth style director Stéphane Brizé takes us gracefully by the hand and into the hearts of two characters who don’t say much but convey all through their eyes. Both keep a lid on their doubts and frustration, until an outburst of rage and tears force them to face reality.
The protagonists are perfectly chosen: dusky Patrick Chesnais and doe-eyed Anne Consigny send sparks flying in every scene they share and it’s a pleasure to know that we can see them again together in The Diving Bell And The Butterfly by Julian Schnabel (who just won the award as Best Director at Cannes Film Festival).
They’re surrounded by an impeccable supporting cast, all made of unknown but characteristic, unforgettable faces, and  direction that has a keen eye on detail.
This story is proof of how wrong the sentiment "Les gens normaux n'ont rien d'exceptionnel", (Normal People Are Nothing Special, the title of Laurence Ferreira Barbosa’s masterpiece).
And the final scene, showing the protagonists dancing in the empty tango studio, is a declaration of faith in affection, sweetness and sincerity.
Out now at the Curzon Chelsea, Curzon Mayfair and Renoir Cinema

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