SIFF: Up For Love

Description

Jean Dujardin (The Artist) stars as an charming architect who charms a single lawyer over the phone into meeting for a first date, which takes an unexpected twist when it is revealed that he is only 4’6″ tall, in this sweet French romance of mismatched coupling.

Oscar® winner Jean Dujardin, as charismatic as ever, returns to SIFF in this new romantic comedy from Laurent Tirard, the director of Molière (SIFF 2007’s Closing Night film). Diane (Virginie Efira, SIFF 2014’s Turning Tide) is a successful lawyer three years removed from her divorce, and she has been romantically challenged ever since. But her luck changes one afternoon when a stranger calls her flat, having found her cell phone and wanting to return it. Over the phone, Alexandre is both funny and charming, and the pair develop an easy chemistry with each other, leading to a date of sorts to return her lost phone. Eagerly arriving at the appointed time and place, Diane is caught completely off-guard when Alexandre arrives—all 4’6″ of him. (He literally has to hop up into café chair.) At first, his stature makes Diane uncomfortable, but she soon discovers that Alexandre is pretty much the complete package—witty, intelligent, handsome—so who cares if she has to bend down to kiss him? However, Alexandre and Diane will have to face many other romantic challenges, including a full-sized rival as well as the prejudices of society, if they are going to make it to their happily ever after.

Director Biography: French writer/director Laurent Tirard began writing film and television scripts in 1997 and directing short films in 1999. In 2004 he wrote and directed his first feature film, The Story of My Life. He is also known for writing and directing Little Nicholas, the film adaptation of the popular children’s book.