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Romantics Anonymous
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Wikipedia article
'Romantics Anonymous' is a 2010 French-Belgian romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Amris and starring Benot Poelvoorde and Isabelle Carr. It received three nominations at the 2nd Magritte Awards, winning Best Foreign Film in Coproduction.
Plot
Anglique is a young French woman who suffers from social anxiety disorder and is afraid of just about everything. She regularly attends a support group for other people like her. Jean-Ren, who owns a small manufacturer of chocolate called the Chocolate Mill, also suffers from social anxiety, and is afraid of many things, particularly intimacy. The Chocolate Mill is failing because it makes a plain, old-fashioned kind of chocolate that no longer sells well.
Anglique had attended pastry school to fulfill her dream of becoming a chocolate maker. However, her anxiety prevented her from being able to answer questions or write exams. Luckily, a fellow sufferer of social anxiety disorder, Mr. Mercier, hired her to make chocolates for his tearoom and shop, Mercier Sweetshop. For Anglique to remain anonymous, Mr. Mercier told his customers that the chocolates were made by a hermit who lived in seclusion in the mountains. She thrived there for seven years.
When Mr. Mercier dies, Anglique applies for a job at the Chocolate Mill. Due to some misunderstandings, Jean-Ren hires her as a sales representative. When Anglique realizes that the company will go bankrupt if they do not improve the quality of their chocolate, she helps the other employees in making a new line of chocolate, claiming she has a way to communicate with the hermit chocolate maker.
At the same time, Anglique and Jean-Ren fall in love, but have substantial difficulties expressing their feelings and developing their relationship due to their fears and anxieties.
In the meantime, the other Chocolate Mill employees grow suspicious about Anglique's "connection" with the famous secret chocolate maker. Ultimately, with a little help from the other Chocolate Mill employees and Anglique's support group, Anglique is revealed as the hermit chocolate maker, and the Chocolate Mill becomes successful. Jean-Ren and Anglique finally consummate their relationship. The couple find an alternative way of coping with the stresses of wedding and remain together forever after.
Cast
*Benot Poelvoorde as Jean-Ren Van Den Hugde
*Isabelle Carr as Anglique Delange
*Lorella Cravotta as Magda
*Jacques Boudet as Rmi
*Pierre Niney as Ludo
*Alice Pol as Adle
*Lise Lamtrie as Suzanne
*Swann Arlaud as Antoine
*Philippe Laudenbach as The jury president
*Stphan Wojtowicz as The psychologist
Reception
The film has been positively received by critics and holds a rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/romantics_anonymous/ Romantics Anonymous (2011)] Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 18 April 2012
Romantics Anonymous is a real-life help group that helps people with sometimes debilitating shyness. Jean-Pierre Amris, a highly emotional person himself, who attended real EA (Emotions Anonymous) meetings, and Isabelle Carr had talked about making a movie about their shared shyness. As preparation for the movie, Isabelle Carr also attended EA meetings. Retrieved on 4 November 2012
Stage musical adaptation
A stage musical based on the film was adapted and directed by Emma Rice with music by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond. The musical premiered at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in London from 20 October 2017, running until 6 January 2018.
References
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