At the Cannes Film Festival, the world premiere of Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts (L’Amour Ouf) captivated audiences, culminating in a 15-minute standing ovation at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. This overwhelming reception marks the longest ovation of Cannes 2024, surpassing the previous night’s 12-minute applause for The Count of Monte-Cristo.
Beating Hearts, a modern reinterpretation of the classic Romeo and Juliet narrative, stars François Civil, known for his role as D’Artagnan in last year’s Three Musketeers reboot, and Adèle Exarchopoulos of Palme D’or-winner Blue is the Warmest Color fame. They portray former childhood sweethearts who are separated by a past involving gang violence and wrongful imprisonment, only to reconnect years later against all odds.
The film’s supporting cast includes Raphaël Quenard, Benoît Poelvoorde, Elodie Bouchez, Vincent Lacoste, Alain Chabat, and Jean-Pascal Zadi.
Adapted from Neville Thompson’s 1997 novel Jackie Loves Johnser OK? set in Dublin’s tough Ballyfermot suburb during the 1980s, Lellouche has transposed the story to France. He collaborated on the screenplay with Ahmed Hamidi, his partner from the 2018 comedy Sink Or Swim, and Audrey Diwan, the Venice Golden Lion winner.
At Unifrance’s Paris Rendez-Vous in January, Lellouche expressed his passion for the source material, stating, “I fell in love with this book and this story about a violent love story. I jumped into this adventure with Ahmed Hamidi and Audrey Diwan.”
The film, distributed by Studiocanal, is slated for a French release on October 16
