Brilliant acting, but the plot is spread too thinly for its runtime.
Directed by Gilles Lellouche, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ahmed Hamidi and Audrey Diwan, Beating Hearts is based on Neville Thompson’s novel Jackie Loves Johnser OK? This sliding-doors film explores the fate of the romantic leads, whose paths are forever changed in just a single night. Their love story was clear and emotionally real, but something was missing in the overall story arc.
The plot itself felt a little bit boring or humdrum. It didn’t really grab me, even when some of the individual outcomes were satisfying. The strength in this movie lies in the acting and the way in which the characters are developed. Both Adèle Exarchopoulos as Jackie and Mallory Wanecque as the young Jackie, and François Civil as Clotaire and Malik Frikah as the young Clotaire were wonderful to watch. In particular, Malik’s sudden turns to rage are mirrored perfectly by Civil’s portrayal of the older Clotaire, giving a strong sense of emotional continuity, whilst at the same time showing how he has matured when there is restraint.
This is in clear contrast to Jackie (Exarchopoulos) whose older character varies significantly from the young, innocent and studious Jackie (Wanecque). Alain Chabat as the ever-patient father of Jackie is so authentic in his supporting role throughout. The film needed tightening as the plot felt a little stretched, even though the complexity and portrayal of these (and other) characters gave it credibility. The most memorable example of this was the phone box scene toward the end, which made me feel genuinely uncomfortable; I found myself unconsciously squirming in my seat because of how real it felt. It was intense and believable, but it only worked because the characters had been so well developed up to that point.
I enjoyed the music in the background of each scene, which also served to enhance its mood – especially in the adrenaline packed fighting sequences, and the use of subtle cues that unfold into the next scene. Clotaire’s upbringing, his recklessness, and his anger is no less destructive than Jackie’s path, much to the despair of Jackie’s father. The father-daughter scenes—the way the father just wants his daughter to be happy, while she’s stuck in her own world, unable to fully escape it, even when she really tries. It really shows how much pain, or tainted love, can shape someone’s future. By the same token, the sliding doors concept also shows how much it can heal it.
Jackie summed it up perfectly when she describes Clotaire as being ‘ugly and beauty all at the same time’.
More News
