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Her lover is dangerously sexy, tattooed, and sinewy, and she is terrified of him. The fact that he calls her in the middle of the day for impromptu trysts sends her into a state of panic as she frantically tries on clothes and applies just the right amount of makeup in an effort to appear desirable without appearing as if she’s trying too hard sends them both into a state of panic as well. In the cold, hard light of day, it becomes clear that he is mind-numbingly dull and that they have absolutely nothing in common after they have finished their spirited cavorting. At least, this is how it appears to us after they have finished their cavorting.
This is the harsh reality depicted in the French drama “Simple Passion,” directed by Danielle Arbid and based on the novel by Annie Ernaux and written by Danielle Arbid. It’s a matter of fact approach to Arbid’s sexual scenes, with nothing romantic about the lighting or pacing, which heightens the sense that this is just a fling, or at the very least a spark of something that couldn’t possibly last, that she’s going for. But we know from the beginning that Helene (Laetitia Dosch), the divorcee in her forties who is at the center of “Simple Passion,” sees it as much more than that. In her mind, she replays these moments over and over, plotting how she can finally meet this enigmatic and elusive man, putting everything else in her life on hold in order to accomplish this goal. Grab her by the shoulders, look her straight in the eyes, and tell her to snap out of it, is what you want to do. That kind of needy, teenage-girl nonsense isn’t appropriate for her age, and he’s not worth the considerable amount of time and effort she’s devoting to him. He’s actively uninteresting, and that’s exactly the point. It’s not so much about who he is, but rather about what he represents: a chance to be discovered for the first time in a long time, to feel beautiful and desired once more.
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On the other hand, the actor who portrays him is Sergei Polunin, so you can kind of understand the allure. Yuri Grigoryan, the Ukrainian bad-boy ballet star who is renowned for his once in a generation talent as well as for his rebellious streak, is an impressive sight to behold. Yuri Grigoryan is a chiseled spectacle to behold. His character, Alexandre, works as a well-dressed official at the Russian embassy in Paris, and he has a good sense of humor. (The specifics of what he does there are intentionally vague, prompting Helene to accuse him in jest of being a spy.) Would that it were so.) He’s a lot younger, and, oh, by the way, he has a wife back in Russia. Helene, a university professor and intellectual who enjoys poetry and film, is diametrically opposed to him on almost every level. When she calls her best friend on the phone, she laments, “He loves Hollywood crap and Putin!” (Polunin, it should be noted, is currently in the process of having all of his tattoos removed, including the large picture of Vladimir Putin’s face that is emblazoned across his chest.)
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Aside from that, Alexandre is aloof and cold to the point of being evasive. The more Helene wants to get to know him, the more he becomes unknowable, which only serves to increase her desire for him. In long takes, Arbid allows us to take it all in as the fresh-faced Dosch plays every note of her character’s wide range of emotions (giddiness, anxiety, rapture, desperation) with meticulous precision. The raw physical and emotional performance of Dosch draws us in and keeps us hooked, even when “Simple Passion” becomes repetitive, and the sex becomes rote, and the conversations between these two become even more inane (all of which is Arbid’s point, of course). Her pale blue eyes have a faraway look in them as she walks through the aisles of the grocery store, and it’s clear that she’s daydreaming about Alexandre when she remembers to go to the grocery store. Helene is becoming increasingly disengaged from the responsibilities of her everyday life, which includes cooking for her irritable tween son, Paul (Lou Teymour-Thion). “I love you, sweetheart,” she tells her only child during a vulnerable moment at the dinner table. “You’re the light of my life.” He shrugs, a response that, at least in the eyes of this viewer, cuts deeper than any of Alexandre’s impulsive betrayals ever did.
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While Dosch’s work is constantly evolving but always approachable, Polunin never comes close to matching her acting ability, which ultimately results in “Simple Passion” being a disappointing film to watch. Even though he doesn’t dance in this film, as he has in previous ones such as “Red Sparrow” and the documentary devoted to his life, “Dancer,” dancing continues to be the medium through which he most powerfully connects with his audience. There is so little chemistry in this romance that we are left wondering why this guy of all guys has the otherwise intelligent Helene Google stalking him and constantly checking her phone for messages. The film is rated R for language and sexual content. He’s just not that into you, young lady.
For more personality quizzes check this: The Novice Quiz.
