Mi Iubita Mon Amour

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	Noémie Merlant Gimi-Nicole Covaci
Produced by	Pierre Guyard Noémie Merlant
Starring	Noémie Merlant Gimi-Nicole Covaci Sanda Codreanu
Cinematography	Evgenia Alexandrova
Edited by	Sanabel Cherqaoui
Production company	Nord-Ouest Films
Distributed by	Tandem Films
Release dates	13 July 2021 (2021-07-13) (Cannes) 27 July 2022 (2022-07-27) (France)
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]

References

1. "Mi iubita, mon amour". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
2. Bradshaw, Peter (13 July 2021). "Mi Iubita Mon Amour review – touching debut from Noémie Merlant". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
3. "Mi Iubita Mon Amour". Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
4. Tartaglione, Nancy (21 July 2021). "Noemie Merlant On 'Diving Into The Unknown' With Directorial Debut 'Mi Iubita, Mon Amour' – Cannes Studio". Deadline. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
5. Baronnet, Brigitte (27 July 2022). "Ce film français a été tourné en seulement 14 jours et le résultat va vous séduire!" [This French film was shot in just 14 days and the result will seduce you!]. AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 12 April 2023.
6. "Mi Iubita, Mon Amour, Noémie Merlant's cry of love and friendship". Cannes Film Festival. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
7. Keslassy, Elsa (20 September 2021). "Noemie Merlant's 'Mi lubita, Mon Amour' Attracts Buyers For Films Boutique (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
8. "Mi Iubita Mon Amour". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
9. Hunter, Allan (13 July 2021). "'Mi Iubita-Mon Amour': Cannes Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
10. Erbland, Kate (13 July 2021). "'Mi Iubita, Mon Amour' Review: An Uncomfortable Love Story, Told with Equal Parts Sweat and Boredom". IndieWire. Retrieved 12 April 2023.

External links

• Mi Iubita Mon Amour at IMDb