A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This is a tale about two sisters. Ariane, a blonde young Parisian, is hopefully romantic. She works for one of those publications that sell 'comic romances' which are illustrated with photographs. Ariane spends her days in a sort of reverie composing situations in which she sees herself as the female model for her own stories. Most of her plots involve Farid, an attractive man who does not seem to share her enthusiasm, spending as much as he can away from her.Lena, the other sibling, is a cellist working with an musical ensemble. When we first meet her, she is performing in London. It is the kind of orchestra much like the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra a group who plays music without a conductor. The guest soloist, Mark, catches her eye. They briefly date, but at the end of the tour, Lena goes back to Paris, and Mark, who is in demand, goes to Tokyo. Lena and Mark had an affair before he leaves for the Far East.The sisters live apart, but see each other frequently. Ariane's building is under repairs and Pablo, a Spaniard worker, becomes friendly with her. Ariane likes the man, but her heart is set on Farid. Lena, on the other hand, is involved with Francois, a man who one can see does not have what Lena is looking for. Ariane comes to realize Farid has no intentions for anything serious, while falling, little by little for the kinder Pablo. Lena and Francois come to a decision to split, but in her heart she wants Mark, who only reappears in her life at the end of the story, two years later. Mark confesses he has married, thus ending her dreams of sharing her life with him.Directed by Julie Lopes-Curval and shown on a French cable channel. The film is a light comedy with two endearing young actresses and a whimsical screenplay by the director and Sophie Hiet. "Toi et moi" surprises by Ms. Lopes-Curval's vision of how younger people in the present world still have dreams and aspirations for finding love and romance, such as Ariene and Lena. In the film Ariane's life is illustrated with photographs as though right out of the pages of one of those 'romance comics' which Ariene spends time elaborating, in which she sees herself as the heroine of her own stories.Julie Depardieu does one of the best works we recall ever seeing her do on the screen. She is lovable as the woman who has set her eyes on a man who does not appreciate what he has. Ms. Depardieu is totally convincing in the way she portrays her character. Marion Cotillard's Lena is also quite right. She is not as lucky as her sister because fate did not help her in the romance department. She secretly craved for Mark, who had other priorities, not caring to spend the rest of her life with Francois. The ensemble playing works out well. Jonathan Zaccai plays Mark, a man who could not commit himself, yet wanting Lena. Sergio Peris-Mencheta makes a nice Pablo. Eric Berger and Chantal Lauby are seen in supporting roles. Philippe Guilbert, the cinematographer does an outstanding job in capturing the locations in London and Paris. The score by Sebastian Schuller compliments the classical music heard as the classical ensemble plays fine music. One can only wish Ms. Lopes-Curval success in future endeavors.

There is something about this film that lifts it above the ordinary chick flick. The acting, on the whole, is pretty good. The actors who play string instruments were coached by a professional musician, and their 'miming' is convincing. What I found really touching is the inability of the main characters to communicate, to say the things that they really want to say, at the time they would matter most. In real life, people who seem 'destined' for each other don't always get each other. We tend to cling to comfortable but unfulfilling work or relationships and fear the consequences of taking a leap into the unknown. Fortunately, 'Toi et moi' avoids easy answers.On the minus side, the storyline could have been better developed. It tends to drag a bit in the middle, the graphic novel gimmick is overused, and the character of the sisters' aunt (Chantal Lauby) could have played a more prominent role. Despite these flaws, this is a film well worth seeing.

What is it about French films? It seems that every French film I have seen grabs me immediately and keeps my attention throughout the entire movie. There is some magical thing that the French do in their films and I'm at a loss to understand what it is, but this movie does exactly the same thing. It truly is magic. The story is slight and a bit silly but the movie is so romantic and the cast so perfect who cares? I've always been in love with French women who I think are the sexiest on the planet and found French men to be creepy. But not here. The male leads are outstanding and keep up with the women very easily. But let's face it French films are known for their fantastic women and this film continues that idea delightfully. But the two men the two female leads end up with definitely keep your heart pumping and when love wins out in the end there isn't a dry eye in the house.

This is a film that suffers from not knowing who its audience is. I would think the film would not appeal to women, as this is not a "happy ever after" film--or at least it's not that way for everyone. Plus it's hard to relate to such flawed characters. If you're a guy, you probably will have little respect for the two female leads, as they seem hopelessly unwilling to be loved.The film is about two sisters who don't look alike and their love lives appear very different, but down deep they are both horribly screwed up and unable to love. Lena has a live-in boyfriend but is very emotionally constricted and cold. She builds walls around herself in a figurative sense. When she finally tries to pull down the walls, she is very selfish and hurts the boyfriend with little regard to his feelings. Nice lady. Ariane simply has no self-esteem---none. Her steady boyfriend won't commit emotionally. Heck, after dating two years, he won't even refer to her as his girlfriend. and only calls her when he wants her around--otherwise, he's always aloof and self-involved. Yet, despite this, she's very, very dependent and needy. Her job is writing bad romantic stories for a magazine and she retreats into the fantasy world instead of facing up to the fact that her lover is a jerk. It's a shame, too, as these fantasy interludes in the movie could have been really entertaining--too bad they are so short and seem almost irrelevant most times you see them.Ultimately the viewer is left hating or at least being annoyed with both ladies and this leads to the problem with the film. If you don't care about the ladies or actively dislike them, why would you ever think about recommending this film to a friend or keep watching it? My advice...don't. This film is a truly cynical look at what they say is love, though little of what I saw appeared loving or interesting.Decent acting can't undo a cold and unlikable script.