Adapted from a Spanish film, El Otro Lado de la Cama, On va s’aimer, directed by Ivan Calbérac, author of Irène, will be released in cinemas on June 14. With just over a month until its release, the film is being previewed in many cities across France. The film team was present in Nice, on Tuesday, May 2: an opportunity to discover a delightful comedy.
The film’s plot is easy to summarize: Laurent (Julien Boisselier) and Camille (Mélanie Doutey) form a beautiful young couple. However, Laurent falls in love with Elodie (Alexandra Lamy), the partner of his best friend, François (Gilles Lellouche). He gives in to temptation and lies to everyone.
Laurent is a man who cannot say no, who cannot choose. He does not control his life. He becomes endearing despite his betrayal. It is hard to blame him: we follow him in his romantic adventures, hoping to help him.
Camille believes in perfect love, a bit naive, she is incapable of suspecting her partner’s infidelity.
Elodie, a lawyer, decides, takes action. She decides to have an affair with Laurent who has what is lacking in François. François is a man who, at first glance, appears macho and strong physically but is the most sensitive of the characters.
Ivan Calbérac achieves through comedy, the accuracy of the actors’ and the dialogue to make the situation acceptable: “I didn’t want to say: cheating is abominable or on the contrary, cheat on each other. It is easy to fall into one or the other of these principles. In the film, I wanted to show that it sometimes happens. Then, to say why and to prove that there was a victim but no executioner. The choice to forgive or not came after.”
Eight songs performed by the actors add originality to On va s’aimer. They bring an additional touch of freshness. Ivan Calbérac elaborates: “The eight songs extend what is happening. The songs are very well-known and seem to have been written for this story. I rejected some songs for a line that did not fit the film. It’s a way for the characters to express themselves differently, to get into their thoughts as if they were thinking out loud.”
But it was not easy for the actors who had never sung before. Gilles Lellouche explains: “It’s weird to have to sing. Seeing myself on a balcony amid daffodils singing Herbert Léonard, I must admit I was apprehensive. I was a bit afraid of seeing myself sing. But it works with the very straightforward treatment by Ivan Calbérac. It’s comedy.”
Mélanie Doutey describes the recording of the songs: “It’s impressive to record the songs in the studio. None of us was a singer. We felt like super rock stars, but when you’re in the studio with Alain Souchon’s arranger, with headphones on, and they signal you to sing, you think: ‘We’re going to look ridiculous.’ The team helped us a lot, and we made it through.”
On va s’aimer is a romantic comedy somewhat in the English style, even though it is adapted from a Spanish film. It resembles a play with its misunderstandings, unsaid things, and very comic scenes. We then remember that Ivan Calbérac comes from the theater. The story is very modern, and we identify with the main characters. This is the main success of the film. Subtly, it raises the question: does infidelity ultimately make love stronger?
Additional Comments:
Ivan Calbérac: “Comedy is a point of view. It’s the cinema I want to make right now.” He is suffused with humor, and he explains in his daily life: “Yesterday, a friend was telling me a story, and I couldn’t help seeing the comic side of the subject and its comedic potential. The attraction comes from two opposing energies that are expressed at the same time. A virile man who becomes very fragile is very touching, just as a slender woman who suddenly shows great strength of character.”
Gilles Lellouche: “The fact of having to sing was so paralyzing that when we met, we knew we were going to experience a great moment of solitude. So, might as well go through it together. From the start, we bonded. We spent two and a half months of fantastic shooting.”
