RAPHAËL BALBONI, ANN SIROT | BELGIUM, FRANCE | 2023 | 89 MIN | FRENCH
The second feature from Belgian filmmaking duo Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni begins with a tantalizing scenario: What if you had to have sex with all of your exes to save your current relationship? This is the quandary facing couple Sandra (Lucie Debay) and Rémy (Lazare Gousseau), who have been told that their trouble conceiving is due to a recently discovered condition called “Past Love Syndrome.” To move forward with their life together, they’ll need to track down and reacquaint themselves with their past lovers. If this weren’t prickly enough territory, Rémy is chagrined to discover that Sandra’s list of prior paramours is a bit longer than his, leading to a crisis of trust that threatens to come between them. Staged with stunning visual ingenuity and directed with palpable tenderness toward its characters, The (Ex)perience of Love is a thoughtful, emotionally generous romantic comedy that encourages viewers to expand their conceptions of what a healthy relationship can look like.
Cast: Lucie Debay, Lazare Gousseau, Florence Loiret Caille, Ninon Borsei
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