Mi Iubita Mon Amour

Mi Iubita Mon Amour
Directed byNoémie Merlant
Written by
  • Noémie Merlant
  • Gimi-Nicole Covaci
Produced by
  • Pierre Guyard
  • Noémie Merlant
Starring
  • Noémie Merlant
  • Gimi-Nicole Covaci
  • Sanda Codreanu
CinematographyEvgenia Alexandrova
Edited bySanabel Cherqaoui
Production
company
Nord-Ouest Films
Distributed byTandem Films
Release dates
  • 13 July 2021 (2021-07-13) (Cannes)
  • 27 July 2022 (2022-07-27) (France)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Box office$39,790[1]

Mi Iubita Mon Amour (Romanian and French for "my beloved") is a 2021 French romantic drama film directed by, co-written by, and starring Noémie Merlant.

Plot

Jeanne is a fiancée on a bachelorette trip with friends in Romania. After their car gets stolen, they are taken in by the family of Nino, a Romani 17-year-old who finds a connection with Jeanne and joins them on their way to the beach.

Cast

  • Gimi-Nicole Covaci – Nino
  • Noémie Merlant – Jeanne
  • Sanda Codreanu – Katia
  • Clara Lama-Schmit – Lola
  • Alexia Lefaix – Helena
  • Kita Covaci – Nino's mother
  • Jean Covaci – Nino's father
  • Giani Covaci – Nino's brother
  • Wallerand Denormandie – Victor, Jeanne's fiancé

Covaci's real-life family played his character's family.[2]

Production

Mi Iubita Mon Amour was Noémie Merlant's feature film directorial debut.[3] The film came about on the "spur of the moment" during a visit to Romania by Merlant, Gimi-Nicolae Covaci, and other cast members—Merlant's close friends—in the summer of 2020.[4][5] It was co-written by Merlant and Covaci, who had previously appeared in Merlant's short film Shakira (2019).[2] A small crew worked on the low-budget shoot over two weeks.[4][5][6] Merlant said that the script "left room" for improvisation.[6]

Release

Mi Iubita Mon Amour premiered on 13 July 2021 in Special Screenings at the Cannes Film Festival.[2][7]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 57% based on seven reviews.[8] The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw described the film's dialogue scenes as "very watchable", but thought the ending was unsatisfying.[2] A critic for Screen Daily credited the film for its "sure-footed handling of tangled emotional issues",[9] though an IndieWire editor found Merlant "unwilling to grapple with the uncomfortable questions her story asks" regarding the relationship of Nino and Jeanne.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Mi iubita, mon amour". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Bradshaw, Peter (13 July 2021). "Mi Iubita Mon Amour review – touching debut from Noémie Merlant". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Mi Iubita Mon Amour". Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b Tartaglione, Nancy (21 July 2021). "Noemie Merlant On 'Diving Into The Unknown' With Directorial Debut 'Mi Iubita, Mon Amour' – Cannes Studio". Deadline. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  5. ^ a b Baronnet, Brigitte (27 July 2022). "Ce film français a été tourné en seulement 14 jours et le résultat va vous séduire!" [This French film was shot in just 14 days and the result will seduce you!]. AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Mi Iubita, Mon Amour, Noémie Merlant's cry of love and friendship". Cannes Film Festival. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  7. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (20 September 2021). "Noemie Merlant's 'Mi lubita, Mon Amour' Attracts Buyers For Films Boutique (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Mi Iubita Mon Amour". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  9. ^ Hunter, Allan (13 July 2021). "'Mi Iubita-Mon Amour': Cannes Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  10. ^ Erbland, Kate (13 July 2021). "'Mi Iubita, Mon Amour' Review: An Uncomfortable Love Story, Told with Equal Parts Sweat and Boredom". IndieWire. Retrieved 12 April 2023.