106. My Donkey, My Lover & I (Antoinette dans les Cévennes); movie review

 

MY DONKEY, MY LOVER & I (ANTOINETTE DANS LES CÉVENNES)

Cert 12A

95 mins

BBFC advice: TBA

It seems like weeks since we had a good old belly laugh but I can happily report that it took precisely 20 seconds before My Donkey, My Lover & I elicited its first.

Thankfully, Caroline Vignal's movie was not a one-hit-wonder - there were plenty more hilarious moments to come.

Romantic comedies seldom tickle my funny bone but Laure Calamy succeeded while reminding me of Bridget Jones.

Calamy plays Antoinette, an accident-prone primary school teacher who has fallen for the father (Benjamin Lavernhe) of one of her pupils (Louise Vidal).

She is revved up because she believes that she will be spending the following week with him only to discover that he is now going away with his wife (Olivia Côte) and daughter.

So, she decides to go on holiday alone - to exactly the same place as them.

What was going through her head and what did she think would happen? Who knows, but what makes no sense to anyone else, seems right to her.

Anyway, she is completely unprepared for the vacation - 100k walk in the Cévennes... with a donkey!

Yes, she agreed to the option which was bound to make an ass of her.

However, even though her actions are a cross between reprehensible and full-on crazy, we end up warming to Antoinette.

This is largely because the hike with an initially unresponsive donkey is lonely and hard and yet she keeps on plugging away.

But it is also because we can see her discovering herself in this state of adversity.

Vignal's movie also looks great... the Cévennes walk has some wonderfully scenic views and the backdrop is used to full effect.

Sure, it is light but My Donkey, My Lover & I was a much-needed diversion.

Reasons to watch: Disarming and unusual rom-com.

Reasons to avoid: Not all the gags hit the mark

Laughs: Six

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: Bare bums

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes, written in 1879,  is one of Robert Louis Stevenson's earliest published works and is considered a pioneering classic of outdoor literature.

The final word. Caroline Vignal: "At the very beginning of writing the screenplay, I set out on the famous Stevenson hike, known as "Stevenson's Trail": more than 220 kilometres in a dozen days. Like Antoinette, every night I shared my meal with other hikers and hosts who unknowingly inspired the supporting characters a lot."

 

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