Cannes 2023: Modern Romance Reexamined in ‘Simple comme Sylvain’
by Alex Billington
June 2, 2023
A taboo question about modern relationships – what is more important: sexual compatibility or intellectual compatibility? That’s the core of this smart new romantic comedy film from Quebec titled Simple comme Sylvain (in French) or The Nature of Love (in English). After watching it, I prefer the original French title more. The direct translation is “Simple as Sylvain“, or “Easy as Sylvain“. The guy she falls for in the film is named Sylvain, and it’s a story about how he is both a simple man (translation: not so smart), and also how simple/easy it is to fall for him and fall for his charms and all of that. The Nature of Love is a bit more abstract and doesn’t quite have the sharpness of Simple as Sylvain. Though if you haven’t seen the film yet, how do you know who Sylvain is? But I digress. This clever film hasn’t left my mind since watching, another intriguing Cannes discovery this year that will certainly make a mark within the rom-com subgenre.
Simple comme Sylvain is both written and directed by Quebecois actress and filmmaker Monia Chokri – her third feature film following Babysitter and A Brother’s Love before this. This seem to be a very personal film about Chokri’s own romantic / sexual experiences, but she opts to have someone else star in the lead role as Sophia instead of taking it on herself (she was at the center of a love triangle in Xavier Dolan’s film Heartbeats from 2010 as well). Magalie Lépine Blondeau stars as Sophia, a young woman who’s in an uncomfortably comfortable relationship with an intellectual nice guy named Xavier, as played by Francis-William Rhéaume. It’s obvious she is bored and one day that all changes when she encounters Sylvain, played by the irresistible Pierre-Yves Cardinal (talk about perfect casting for this role, oh my). She can’t resist him and before even she knows it, she has fallen completely for this new guy, and quickly decides to move on from Xavier. She’ll try it out with the simple but sexy Syvlain instead. Is it the right move… or not?
I quite like what Chokri’s trying to do balancing the romance debate of intelligent men vs sexual men and whether you can have the best of both. Even if she does fall for the “dumb” guy in this story, the film itself is still considerably intellectual. Many of the conversations throughout, even the scenes and setups involving her transition from one guy to the next, are confidently smart and informed. It’s also quite obvious she has experience with these two kinds of men, and can easily represent them and their ways and how they talk and how they have sex and everything else. It’s a film that is meant to explore this question of: can you find a guy who is smart and sexual gratifying?, However, it doesn’t give a definitive answer – it’s an exploration more than an experiment. And everyone’s interpretation of her script may be different. The film also loses steam after the midway point, which is pretty well into her new relationship with Sylvain. By this point we all know what’s going on and what it’s talking about, then it only goes so much further before wrapping up.
It’s a very sexual film, with quite a few passionate scenes that will make anyone feel hot & bothered. But it’s all to prove Chokri’s point – good sex and intelligence are mutually exclusive, no? Regardless of everyone’s opinions, it’s an engaging film reexamining this question through her distinct lens. Which is refreshing to see. I believe the film’s intelligent script makes it more enjoyable to watch than the usual cheesy rom-coms being made these days. Along with the casually amusing performances from the two leads Magalie Lépine-Blondeau and Pierre-Yves Cardinal. It’s far from perfect, and lacks the more zippy, energetic attitude that many viewers expect from so many Hollywood romances. However, it makes up for that with these steamy sex scenes. There’s not even that much nudity, it’s the wildness of two people who just want to fuck letting themselves go – on camera. It’s a poignant reminder that, yes, sex is important to men and women and all relationships, and shouldn’t be brushed aside – regardless of which side of the film’s debate you end up on.
Alex’s Cannes 2023 Rating: 7.5 out of 10
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