'Blind Date' is a 2015 French romantic comedy film directed by and starring Clovis Cornillac.
The film stars Mélanie Bernier, Lilou Fogli and Philippe Duquesne. It won the Audience Award at the 19th annual COLCOA French Film Festival in Los Angeles and the Best First Film award at the 2015 Cabourg Film Festival. It screens as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival in Brisbane.
When a young pianist (Melanie Bernier) moves in to a new apartment, she quickly discovers that the walls are so thin, she and her neighbor (Clovis Cornillac) can hear everything the other does.
While he is a lonely and work obsessed puzzle maker, committed to working in silence, she is an aspiring pianist preparing for a life changing music competition and needs to practice every day.
The clash of lifestyles leads to a war of attrition – with sound the weapon of choice.
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The battle of noise erupts on both sides of the wall, with each party trying to force the other to surrender through ever escalating and distracting sounds. Finally, puzzle maker Machin capitulates, sent to the edge by the endless ticking of a metronome.
A truce is finally called and the couple organize their daily routines – so each can work on their respective project without interruption. With the feuding over, the neighbors soon find comfort in each other’s presence with an unexpected mutual interest in Chopin.
In an unlikely scenario for a love story, the two would-be lovers agree not to meet or even exchange names - instead they commit to an invisible and anonymous relationship conducted through the paper-thin wall separating their apartments.
Despite never meeting, the relationship develops, and the couple communicate and share intimate moments, even dinners as they live vicariously through ‘the wall’. While their friends find it all a bit strange, Machin and Machine are so relaxed together, it appears almost normal.
Machine’s promiscuous sister Charlotte (Lilou Fogli) adds another joyful dimension to the storyline and brings plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to this delightful and beautifully crafted comedy.This award-winning film is just lovely and will keep you smiling for a day or two. Definitely one to put on your list of ‘what to see’ during the Alliance Française French Film Festival.
'Blind Date' plays as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival.
