The Art of Love

Director Emmanuel Mouret is at it again, whisking the ingredients of modern relationships into a frothy concoction that's a Francophile's delight. Often described as a Gallic Woody Allen, Mouret's forte is the amusing games sophisticated people play in the name of l'amour. THE ART OF LOVE focuses on the parallel stories of several couples who suffer various forms of lovesickness. When Isabelle admits she hasn't had sex in a year, her friend Zoe offers her own boyfriend as therapy. Achille longs for a partner when suddenly his kooky neighbor shows up in a negligee, looking for someone to start an affair. Well-off Amelie longs to give back to the community. And when her platonic friend Boris suggests she give herself to him for charitable purposes, Amelie hits on a scheme to relieve him of his desire. Vanessa and William are so progressive that they agree to sleep with other people—though neither of them wants to. Director Mouret plays Vanessa's hangdog suitor, unskilled in THE ART OF LOVE. (In French with subtitles) –B.B.