Up for Love (2016)

Up for Love is the kind of romantic comedy that wins you over with sheer charm: a sparkling meet-cute, grown-up emotional stakes, and a light French touch that feels breezy without being empty. Jean Dujardin and Virginie Efira make the central connection feel genuinely alive—flirtatious, awkward, tender—so the film’s big “surprise” isn’t a gimmick so much as a lens on attraction, pride, and the stories we tell ourselves. Laurent Tirard stages it all with technical elegance and sunlit scenery that invites you to relax into the ride, even when the movie nudges at social prejudice. It won’t be for anyone allergic to glossy, crowd-pleasing romance, but if you want a watchable, good-hearted date-night film with wit and warmth, this one delivers.

Up for Love is clearly aiming for a glossy French rom-com with a “love beats prejudice” message, powered by charming leads and breezy banter. The problem is it often treats its central idea like a cute gimmick rather than a fully explored relationship, so the story can feel thin, overly safe, and oddly hesitant to say anything meaningful. If you’re sensitive to films that mine a physical difference for laughs or discomfort—even while trying to be progressive—you may find the tone clumsy and occasionally uncomfortable. On the plus side, Jean Dujardin and Virginie Efira do what they can with the material, and if you want something light and undemanding, it may still pass for a pleasant enough watch.