Growing up is never easy. The transition from (often cossetted) youth into adulthood and the new responsibility this brings can be a struggle for some. Swapping full-time education for a regular job requires a huge change of mindset. The 9-5 grind is not for everyone, nor is the prospect of settling down and ticking off the marriage, mortgage and family boxes. Age does not necessarily tame any flighty tendencies and in Anaïs in Love a 30-year-old just can’t settle.
Anaïs (Anaïs Demoustier) is a free spirit but this approach to life is finally catching up with her. Her boyfriend (Christophe Montenez) has moved out of their apartment in Paris and she’s struggling to pay the rent. Her mother’s cancer has returned and she doesn’t really know how to cope. Anaïs embarks on a relationship with Daniel (Denis Podalydès), an older man, but becomes obsessed with his author wife (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi). When a chance arises to get to know her, she drops everything.
Anaïs in Love is an offbeat and quirky romantic comedy which lives and dies by how much you can sympathise and empathise with its lead. Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet’s film has a lot of charm but Anaïs’ relentless scattergun approach to life can become grating. That said, there’s a lightness and frippery to her tale which acts as an antidote to current troubles and, if you can ignore the flaws, Anaïs in Love is a pacy, fun and affable time.
Anaïs in Love is out in UK cinemas and on digital on 19 August.
