L’Amour ouf: A Gilles Lelouch film could have been very different

L’Amour ouf is a French hit this fall! With more than 3 million downloads already, the film directed by Gilles Lelouch appeals especially to the 15-24 year old audience, who especially like its aesthetic inspired by American cinema of the 80s and 90s.

Gilles Lelouch makes a number of announcements. Take Pel-Mel, Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), Francis Ford Coppola (The Outsiders, Rusty James), John Hughes (The Breakfast Club), Martin Scorsese (The Godfather), Michael Cimino (Journey to the End of Hell), Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet) , Danny Boyle (Trainspotting)… the list goes on. Therefore, L’amour ouf is also a great declaration of love for the cinema of that era.

A more social film like Dardenne? One of the possible ways!

But did you know that L’Amour ouf could have had a completely different style, much closer to the social cinema of the likes of the Dardenne brothers or Ken Loach?

To understand how, let’s go back to the beginning of the project. The day of the book L’Amour ouf by Neville Thompson, titled in English Jackie loves Jonser okay?falls into the hands of Gilles Lelouch. A book trusted by… Benoit Poelvorde himself! Both collaborated on the film Narco and became friends.

Benoit Poelvorde returns to this stage of the project in the book L’Amour ouf, Diary of a Yarnm, signed Eric Libiot. The chapter is devoted to the genesis of the film.

“It’s been a while since the release of Narco, the film that Gilles made with Tristan Auroet, in which I played. I’m reading L’Amour ouf by Neville Thompson. At that time I was looking for a story to make a film about. I say this today, but he was already an Arlesian; I never understood and probably never will.

L’Amour ouf is not a very good book, but it was something

L’Amour ouf isn’t a very good book, but it was something: a great, slightly rock ‘n’ roll love story over a few years between two teenagers becoming adults. The structure held up and the pages turned easily while reading the novel. As Gilles suggested that we write together, I gave him the book. He loves it. and start a business.“

Originally, L’Amour ouf was to be co-written by Gilles Lelouch and Benoit Poelvorde. The writing began even during his stay at the prestigious Villa Medici in Italy, as Benoît Polvorde recounts. L’Amour ouf, Diary of a Yarnm, by Eric Libiot.

But pretty quickly Benoît Polverde noticed that he and Gilles Lelouch not only did not have the same working methods, but above all they did not have the same vision of the book that they wanted to adapt together.

He means Scorsese and Coppola, I mean the Dardenne brothers and Benoît Mariage!

“We had a good laugh, but we also realized that we were not on the same wavelength. He means Scorsese and Coppola, I mean the Dardenne brothers and Benoît Mariage. Gilles envisions an American-style film because that’s where his cinephilia comes from, I want to take the time to tell this story because Belgian realism is obviously my culture.

In the end, we put the script aside and remained friends. Then I turned around large bath with him. When the film was released, happy with the success of the public, he took me aside and said:I’m going to update L’Amour phew.” I’m trying to stay away from it and push it towards more ambition than a little thriller with a little kick. At least I have some talent, right?

I read the first version and I was already nervous. A three-hour movie with characters ten or fifteen years older. (…) He is like that, Gilles: the power of faith and self-assurance. Never worry. He had everything in mind.”

Devoted to friendship, Gilles Lelouch, who was then surrounded by other co-authors (in this case with Audrey Divan, Ahmed Hamid and Julien Lambroschini), did not forget his friend Benoit Polvorde during the distribution of roles. He gave him an inappropriate role, a villainous character, La Brosse!

Benoit Polvorde confides: “I had so much fun filming L’Amour ouf. I love Gilles, but I’m a luxury in his film. I could very well not have been there, I wouldn’t blame him at all. Sometimes I tell myself that he turned me around because I told him about the book. Today I am worried that someone will hurt him. Anyone who was too enthusiastic about Le Grand Bain risked burning it. Fingers crossed for him. And I’ll be there to protect her. »

L’Amour ouf is currently in theaters.