It
is a pretty good rom-com premise, but you wouldn’t want to be seated near a
couple like this in real life. When two former lovers fitting themselves
sitting next to each other on a trans-Atlantic flight, they revisit the end of
their affair in Alexandre Castagnetti’s Love
is in the Air (trailer
here), which
opens this Friday in New York.
Julie
is a sculptor with major jealousy and self-esteem issues. It is not clear what
Antoine does, besides womanizing. Obviously, they are polar opposites, so they
must be meant for each other. For a while, they really gave it a go, but now
Julie is winging her way back to France to marry her predictably buttoned down fiancé.
They
seem to have chemistry, so how did it all go wrong? Of course, there were
complicating factors, like her career frustrations and judgmental mother. Antoine similarly had to juggle counseling sessions
with his nebbish best friend Franck and the unwelcome attentions of an
ex-girlfriend’s nymphish little sister. Mix together and let the farce
commence.
Right,
so there are no real surprises in store for viewers here—no surreal mindtrips
from left field or third act revelations. Air
follows the tried and true formula, but its execution is silky smooth. Right
from the start, the soundtrack wins us over with Nancy Wilson’s lightly
swinging rendition of “I Wish You Love” (which is so much more effective than
more maudlin versions). Frankly, Castagnetti is rather shameless milking Paris
for all its romantic worth. Even Julie finds it clichéd when they have their
first date at the Eiffel Tower, but it works nonetheless.
Ludivine
Sagnier has probably never looked lovelier on-screen, but Julie’s assorted
anxieties wear a little thin over time. In contrast, Nicolas Bedos looks like a
gigolo from central casting, but he actually has his redemptive moments digging
out from under all Antoine’s jerkweed behavior down the stretch. Of course they look good together, but they
do develop a considerable amount of romantic X-factor during their courtship
scenes.
Air is not exactly
a towering accomplishment in cinema, but it is a can’t-miss date movie. If
things are working, its romantic trappings will keep the good vibe going. If not, folks can ogle the attractive cast. Recommended
as the sugary confection it is intended to be, Love is in the Air opens this Friday (1/31) in New York at the Quad
Cinema.
