Three new films are about what the heart wants.
1. The Nature of Love is the most conventional. This French (Canadian) production, directed by Monia Chokri from her script, looks at love as an uncontrollable urge. Sophia (Magalie Lepine-Blondeau), a 40-year-old philosophy professor, is in a stable (read: boring) marriage to Xavier (Francis-William Rhéaume). They sleep in separate rooms and tease each other about taking lovers. While arranging the renovation of their chalet, Sophia meets rugged contractor Sylvain (Pierre-Yves Cardinal). She finds his brashness off-putting then intriguing. They tumble into a passionate affair that upends Sophia's predictable life. Even her mother notices at a family dinner: "You're quiet, you've stopped calling, and you're smiling." The Nature of Love has a lushness about it, not least in Ms. Lepine-Blondeau's voluptuous features, which make Sophia's transformation from demure to resolute believable. Ms. Chokri's direction is nimble from a scene of courtship played out in a slow dolly to the lights of a car cab, to a tide of elderly students entering Sophia's classroom (symbolically urging her to love again before it's too late). To them, she philosophizes "anti-seduction" and quotes "When the fear of losing one's partner subsides, love (according to Plato) dies." Which is the theme of Sophia's engaging quest.
2. Trust in Love is the most madcap. Its title is misleadingly optimistic. Ostensibly a celebration of enduring emotion, it has a whiff of vendetta about it. If in fact it is, as the title card proclaims, a "true story," then it is, at its core, about writer/star Jimi Petulla's divorce. Mickey Ferrara (played by Mr. Petulla), is a music producer trying to save his faltering career while unwittingly neglecting his wife Sofia (Natasha Wilson). In a funny scene, Sofia loudly announces "I want a divorce!" in a crowded restaurant. Add the angst of his children—his daughter (Sydney Bullock) is experiencing first love and bigtime betrayal, and his son (Logan Arditty) is struggling with his sexuality—and you have what the film sees as a zany romp. Set in Malibu, peppered with shots of surfers, the soundtrack is mostly ersatz Beach Boys. Mr. Petulla as Mickey projects a kindly uncle vibe, which makes some bits work. But there's a sense that, once they waded into the water, the filmmakers second-guessed their more gnarly intentions, and tried to salvage in editing. Scenes feel stitched together. A voiceover awkwardly positions son Cody as the protagonist, filling us in on Dad Mickey, who is "one of a kind." Trust in Love is directed by Mick Davis, and has some high spots, like the goofball guidance of Uncle Bobby (Tim Hazelip), and an appearance by The Doors' Robby Krieger. But mostly it comes off as patchwork-y and revised. Never trust a voiceover.
3. Peak Season is the most authentic. It comes to us gently, like a shy dog padding in to be petted, and slowly gains intensity. New York couple Amy (Claudia Restrepo) and Max (Ben Coleman) arrive in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a vacation. They're engaged and planning their wedding. A work emergency takes Max away, leaving Amy in on her own. She books a fishing trip with Loren (Derrick Joseph DeBlasis), a local wilderness guide who lives out of his van and aspires to little more. The pair chat and find reasons to get together, and attraction deepens as the days go by. Peak Season is pokey and heartfelt, mostly due to the naturalness of its actors. Mr. DeBlasis has a folksy charm, making his bearded slacker the kind of guy you wouldn't mind bumping into in a bar. Ms. Restrepo has a great face, on which you read nothing and everything at the same time. She plays Amy with charisma and a winning smile, and makes Amy's dilemma—go with with urban Max or remain with earthy Loren—one we invest in. The direction of Steven Kanter and Henry Loevner is steady and deliberate.
This is indie fare, and its ambitions are modest. Its people and places are believable. Rather than a Heartbreak Kid contrivance, Amy and Loren's romance is a slow burn and, in the end, you root for the lovers. Peak season has a "I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy" quality that makes you believe. Making us care is a neat trick, one that Peak Season pulls off with sensitivity. Watch for appearances by Fred Melamed, (you'll know him by his sonorous voice), and Stephanie Courtney, the Progressive Insurance lady.
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The Nature of Love. 2023. Directed by Monia Chokri. 110 minutes.
Trust in Love. 2024. Directed by Mick Davis. 94 minutes.
Peak Season. 2023. Directed by Steven Kanter and Henry Loevner. 82 minutes.
All available on digital and VOD.