Not My Type

Clément teaches philosophy and is sent from Paris to Arras for a year. He is bored in the provinces and meets Jennifer there. Jennifer is a hairdresser; she likes to read but the books are of another kind, she sings karaoke, spends time with her friends and is content with her life. A relationship begins. Clément loves her and at the same time is uneasy about being seen with her; he does not introduce her to his own circle and does not talk about where the relationship is going. Jennifer notices. Lucas Belvaux directs. Émilie Dequenne plays Jennifer and Loïc Corbery plays Clément. The source is Philippe Vilain's novel. The matter it works at is class; the narrative builds it not through money but through cultural taste, and the difference is visible in every scene. The narrative nowhere looks down on Jennifer; the film directs its criticism at the educated character. Émilie Dequenne won the best actress award in Belgium for the part and the performance carries the film. The karaoke scenes are an important part; the songs carry the character's emotional state directly. The ending offers no reconciliation and the narrative deliberately does not meet the expectation of romantic comedy. Who it is for: viewers who like French relationship drama and narratives built on class. Who it is not for: the pace is slow, little happens, and the ending is cold.