Auf die Freude

Watching À la joie is like getting a postcard from the 2020 pandemic. We all remember what it was like social distancing and the uncertainty of the changing world around us. Although the stay-at-home orders felt like being under house arrest, many of us could still tell a few interesting stories about this period.

Paris, France: Véra is staying at a friend's apartment and crosses paths by chance with a new neighbour, Sam. What starts as a friendly interaction blossoms into an intimate and passionate affair. À la joie plays to the most romantic scenario of lovers-to-be being cut off from the outside world. There's a lot of laughs, fun, and love-making along the way as they get to know each other.

Although À la joie is a TV production, it's never noticeable in a negative way. The (mostly) one-location and two-character narrative actually works in its favor as our two protagonists navigate the most wonderous part of a relationship, the getting-to-know-you part. Véra and Sam work together well and make their interactions believable and a joy to watch; even when they're getting on each other's nerves or having an outright bust-up, it all feels organic and true to life. There's even one major gag moment that I can't even describe here without getting red-flagged.

Despite a rather curious choice for the ending, À la Joie is a beautifully romantic and intimate film. Highly recommended.

No pun intended - you know when some people say that loving too much, having too much passion ... can burn someone (or multiple people)? Could that be true with the two main characters here? They do not seem likely to become a couple - even more so when ... something is missing and the guy has to run to buy it (a scene which is way shorter than I thought it would be).

The movie also is way more sexual than I expected it to be. And there is nudity too of course. Well I say of course, I was not thinking about that when I saw this on a streaming service. I thought it would be a light romantic drama. Well it is mostly light I suppose ... and there is drama and comedy to support it. But it is also in your face and a lot of passion is thrown in your face (and other body parts) ... if you think you are unable to handle those things ... well maybe this is not the movie for you.

Actors are amazing ... also not afraid to bare it all (psychologically but also physically) ... interesting for sure and to say the least ... with maybe not the ending one would expect from it ...