Respond to these rapid questions in our 2 Hearts quiz and we will tell you which 2 Hearts character you are. Play it now.
True romantics are perhaps a small minority of the population, or at least those who consider themselves to be romantics. However, in the dark of the cinema, things are different: most viewers are drawn into the cause of romance, whether reluctantly or enthusiastically. This is due to the fact that movies, particularly those involving romance, entice viewers with the promise of a better life. So that our hopes are vindicated in our imaginations even if they are not realized in reality, we want the spell to work and the charm to perform its magic.
When it comes to exploiting this sentimental wishfulness, French filmmakers are legendary for their skill, and they are so admirably willing to explore the heart’s conundrums for ordinary adults that we are often inclined to accept conceits in their films that would otherwise be laughed off the screen in other films.
“Three Hearts,” directed by Benoit Jacquot, is a curious, ultimately unsatisfying romantic comedy about two sisters who fall in love with the same man. The film begins with a traditional on-screen romance. On one particular night in a provincial town, Marc (Benoît Poelvoorde), a tax attorney, misses the last Paris train, so he goes to the nearest bar, where he meets Sylvie (an attractive, willowy brunette) (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Following her out onto the street, he strikes up a conversation that ends up resulting in romantic chemistry that is serious enough that they decide to meet in Paris a few days later, in spite of the fact that she is already married to another man.
The striking mismatch between the two people in this scene is one of the most unusual aspects of it. France’s most beautiful and magnetic actresses, Gainsbourg is one of the country’s most beautiful and magnetic actresses. Poelvoorde, on the other hand, is a scrawny, balding dude who spends the majority of his screen time staring at the bottoms of his shoes. As a result, it’s understandable why he’d be drawn to her, but not the other way around. (In order to avoid the impression that the reviewer was biased against women, the reviewer asked a female friend what she thought of Marc after leaving the screening.) In an unflattering tone of voice, she labeled him “a schlub.”
But you shouldn’t waste any more time and start this 2 Hearts quiz.
Consequently, do we reject the film at this point on the basis of its believability, refusing to suspend our disbelief any further? Hardly. In films like this, the promise of a romantic payoff is strong enough that the majority of us will still side with Jacquot, waiting to see if he can truly make the spell work. Or perhaps he is taunting us, daring us to abandon ship by making the premise seem absurd, even by the standards of this genre’s ability to stretch the boundaries of credibility.
It should come as no surprise that the planned rendezvous between Marc and Sylvie does not take place, given that the writer-director is a self-confessed fan of classic American romantic melodramas such as Leo McCarey’s “An Affair to Remember.” He suffers a heart attack while driving to meet her, and she is forced to leave the Jardin de Tuileries alone and dejected as a result.
2 Hearts Quiz
This relatively brief section of the story serves as a sort of prologue to the rest of the story. Later in the story, Sylvie has married and moved to Canada with her husband, but she maintains constant contact with her beloved sister, Sophie (Chiara Mastroianni), who runs an antiques business in their hometown and frequently visits their mother’s house in the story’s main setting (Catherine Deneuve). Those of you who haven’t guessed what happens next will now have a heads-up: In the course of his business, Marc meets Sophie, with whom he shares the same chemistry that he shared with her sister earlier in the year. Sophie has fallen head over heels in love with Marc, and she decides to divorce her husband, who, like Sylvie’s husband, is noticeably more attractive than the tax lawyer, and marry him.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this 2 Hearts quiz.
The rest of the story is devoted to teasing us with the question of when the three main characters will learn the truth about their true relationships, and what this will do to the sisters’ mutual affection, as well as their feelings for their respective romantic partners. As you might expect, Jacquot spends a lot of time drawing things out, such as having Marc and Sylvie barely catch a glimpse of each other on Skype, Sylvie’s promised return to France being postponed, and other such plot devices.
Is it possible that the story as it has been described thus far will have a satisfying payoff that will justify all of the laborious contrivances that have been employed? That is possible, but it would almost certainly necessitate our believing in and caring deeply about the characters in question. This does not occur in this case. For reasons that have already been stated, the sisters’ attraction to schlubby Marc does not ring true from the beginning, and it does not become any more credible as the film progresses.
About the quiz
Furthermore, viewers are not given any strong reasons to root for any of the characters in the romantic triangle, which is a major flaw. Should Sophie and Marc remain secure in their provincial marriage, or should Sylvie return to wreak havoc on their domestic bliss? In addition, if we do root for one woman to outperform her sister, is it because we find one actress more attractive than the other (not the character she portrays, mind you)? Such is the type of question that a savvy director will avoid leaving in the minds of his or her audience members.
Also, you must try to play this 2 Hearts quiz.
When it comes to writing appealing parts for actresses, Jacquot is well-known for getting memorable performances from them on occasion. His most valuable asset is the convincingly shaded and alluring performance by the sylph-like Gainsbourg, who is currently one of Europe’s most compelling screen presences. When compared to her fictional mother, Mastroianni appears to be less complex and compelling, and her real-life mother is given relatively little to do as her fictional mother, but who cares? She’s Catherine Deneuve, and she can accomplish more with a raised eyebrow than most actors can with a hysterical tantrum.
For more personality quizzes check this: The Wretched Quiz.
