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.
| Mi Iubita Mon Amour | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Noémie Merlant |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Evgenia Alexandrova |
| Edited by | Sanabel Cherqaoui |
Production company | Nord-Ouest Films |
| Distributed by | Tandem Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $39,790[1] |
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]
