Culture

Directed by Jennifer Devoldere
(3/5)
 
Starring the beautiful Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) and Justin Bartha (The Hangover), Every Jack Has a Jill (Jusqu’à Toi) is a sweet, better-than- -average romantic comedy.
Chloé (Laurent) is a slightly eccentric, awkward French journalist who has never really connected with anyone. She believes that “real people are disappointing,” and is also afraid of telephones and ATMS. She is not a complete weirdo, but just has a slightly skewed idea of reality. Jack (Bartha) has just been dumped by his highly-strung, corporate bitch girlfriend, just after winning a trip to Paris for them to share “like they always wanted.” Jack never really wanted to travel in the first place, but, encouraged by his workmates, he decides to take the plunge, go to Paris, and find “a nice French girl to shag.”
Things work out well when his suitcase gets lost and falls into the hands of Chloé. She takes a look at the contents of Jack’s suitcase and decides that he is the man of her dreams. In it, she finds Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 100 Years of Solitude, which she just happens to have read 57 times. She decides to pursue this potential love interest, and leaves a bunch of photos of herself on his camera, (à la Amélie) to introduce herself and arrange a meeting.
I won’t spoil the rest, but you get the picture. Although the story is a bit far-fetched, there are some moments of sincerity and realism, which are rarely found in romantic comedies these days. If you want a light-hearted, not too cheesy, cute, French film, this is probably right up your alley.