MY SHORTEST LOVE AFFAIR

What might first seem like a film about a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven (from the title) actually turns out to be quite the opposite! What happens when a chance encounter leads to a one night stand, but that one night stand lingers for much longer than expected?

Louisa and Charles meet on the streets of Paris, rekindling a fleeting romance they both had when they were teenagers. After a few too many glasses (read: bottles) of champagne, they have a swift sexual encounter and that is that. Or so they think until Louisa realises she's pregnant, and the two develop an functional online relationship and then a real life - and considerably less functional - relationship.

For a film that I thought would be more about two people learning to live together and raising a baby, it was surprisingly more about them having sex. I guess sex was the basis for their relationship in the first place, but to be honest their first encounter could be described as a little bit rapey. Charles is a writer and a little bit too vocal in his love-making, where Louisa (aptly an editor) is more prone to silence or meaningful and considerably less enraging words.

I love that this has been directed by a female director; Karin Albou has done a tremendous job, flipping all of the conventions of the genre on their head. All of Charles’ problems are his own and when he tries to make Louisa change, she will only do so as far as he will for her. Unsurprisingly this isn’t very far. They are two very complex and intelligent characters who are trying to make the best of a situation they didn’t see themselves ending up in. This in itself is interesting as films of this nature normally will label a pregnancy as a “bad” event to occur, where these characters accept it is something that has happened in their lives.

It's hard not to feel for Louisa throughout, as she is made to feel less and less of a person for not going along with Charles’ ridiculous sexual needs. Still, she isn’t one to be messed around with and though being conflicted sticks to her guns. Not what you expect from a regular romantic film, the realism and earthy nature make it something you really shouldn’t miss!