Love story turns sour

By Nicole Rodriguez

"Every love story has two sides," claims the tag line of the new film "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not." And indeed this claim proves to be true in the elegantly written and directed debut from French filmmaker Laetitia Colombani.

Colombani has cast French film star Audrey Tatou as Angelique, her lovesick leading lady. Tatou, who is primarily known to American audiences as the wide-eyed heroine of last year's smash hit "Amelie," may have spent the last year being known as the French version of Sandra Bullock - a doll-faced sweetheart seemingly made for the romantic comedy drama. However, by this film's ending, nobody can deny that Tatou has the chops to make it in any genre.

"He Loves Me" opens to find Angelique, a talented art student, caught in an affair with a married cardiologist.

While she devotes herself entirely to him, the object of her affection, Loic (played by Samuel Bihan), seems to treat Angelique as if she were a nuisance: he ignores her in the street, doesn't show up for their planned getaway to Florence and continues to dote upon his pregnant wife as though he'd never strayed.

Seeing the relationship through Angelique's eyes, the audience has no choice to sympathize with her and despise the misogynistic doctor who uses her for his pleasure and then tosses her aside like yesterday's clothing.

For the first 40 minutes, "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" is the story of an innocent girl drawn into a sordid affair and the man who refuses to give her the recognition she deserves.

At this point, however, Colombani makes the interesting decision to rewind the film and start it over from the beginning, this time giving us the story from Loic's point of view.

Transformed from a romantic drama into a creepy thriller, the remainder of "He Loves Me" is a refreshingly original twist on the stereotypical love story that never ventures into cliche and succeeds in keeping the audience wrapped up in the suspense of it all until the ending credits.

Tatou's performance can best be described as what Glenn Close should have been in "Fatal Attraction."

She is simultaneously loveable and disturbing, endearing yet almost frightful.

And throughout her entire performance she remains, above all else, believable.

This role will prove to American audiences without a doubt that Tatou is more than the pretty face and sweet demeanor that won her acclaim in "Amelie," but an incredibly talented actress with the capability to play an enormously versatile collection of roles.