Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
What happens when a man and a woman share a common passion? They fall in love. And this is what happens to Jean-René, the boss of a small chocolate factory, and Angélique, a gifted chocolate maker he has just hired. What occurs when a highly emotional man meets a highly emotional woman? They fall in love, and this is what occurs to Jean-René and Angélique who share the same handicap. But being pathologically timid does not make things easy for them. So whether they will manage to get together, join their solitudes and live happily ever after is a guessing matter.
Romantics Anonymous is a charming French romantic comedy distinguished by its highly specific and endearing premise: two pathologically shy people fumbling toward love through chocolate-making and group therapy. The concept is genuinely singular and executed with a light, whimsical touch rarely seen in the genre. The plot is slender but functional, riding on its quirky central conceit rather than conventional rom-com mechanics. Acting is warm and believable, with Benoît Poelvoorde and Isabelle Carré finding real chemistry through awkwardness. Cinematography is pleasant but unremarkable for French cinema of the period. The ending is sweet and satisfying without being especially surprising. Novelty earns its high mark for the film's unmistakable voice and the specificity of its chocolate-world setting combined with its neurotically shy protagonists — a genuinely one-of-a-kind confection.