French Lover Review: When famous French actor Abel starts an unconventional relationship with a down-on-her-luck waitress Marion, sparks immediately fly for the two of them. However, the harsh spotlight on Abel threatens to consume Marion but is she up for it?
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French Lover Netflix Cast
Omar Sy, Sara Giraudeau, Alban Ivanov, Pascale Arbillot, Agnès Hurstel, Xavier Lacaille, Cindy Bruna, Amaury De Crayencour, Isabelle Candelier, Antoine Chappey
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French Lover Series Director
Lisa-Nina Rives
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French Lover 2025 Writers
Hugo Gélin, Lisa-Nina Rives, Noémie Saglio
The Netflix romantic film has a runtime of 122 minutes.
French Lover Review
Dating man babies requires a special type of skill that not every woman is equipped with, but in French Lover, a name derived from one of Abel’s commercials, showcases a very capable Marion dating famous man-child Abel, who doesn’t seem to have a lot going for him. He’s a brat of the highest order and insults people left, right and centre. At some point in the first half, he called people in a hospital “bottom feeders” because he was taken to a “poor” hospital. At that point, I saw red and knew nothing else would change my mind about this film.
Abel’s bratiness continues throughout the runtime as he runs around without a care in the world, throwing tantrums at every turn for no apparent reason. The film ends on a happy note, with Abel and Marion, after a brief disunion, coming together for a happily ever after moment. However, is there any merit to their relationship in any way? Do we see Abel making amends or growing throughout the film? And what about Marion’s dreams and aspirations? Why does she get stuck with a man-child?
There are several scary questions like these that loom over your head as you watch the film. It’s just that the film’s premise is so lacklustre that it makes you desperately want something, anything, to happen that will give Marion someone more capable to share her life with. It’s just that there is nothing sweet about Abel, whose charms fall short when he can’t do the basic chores. It’s cute when you see him in front of the press, but building a life with a man who doesn’t think about your wants and desires is so unattractive that it makes me question Marion’s choices.
Meanwhile, Sara Giraudeau’s Marion is interesting, but isn’t given any space to breathe. She exists for Abel, which is a shame because we want her to achieve more with her life instead of basing her life on his whims. There is a spark of that towards the end, but the cookie-cutter conclusion is infuriating because it solves nothing in any way.
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I liked Omar Sy and Sara Giraudeau in their roles, but that’s about it. I found it difficult to connect with their characters because it doesn’t seem romantic. Abel has terrible communication skills and is terrible with responsibilities, but we are somehow tasked to believe that that is desirable. It’s so odd and unsatisfying that it leaves a sour taste in your mouth in the end.
Final Thoughts
French Lover leaves a lot to be desired. Dreamy men are fine. But that’s not the only aspect that a partner should have going for themselves. Knowing the difference between a zuccini and a cucumber is extremely important without your spouse holding your hand… at least it is if you want to have any semblance of a normal life!
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