A beautiful film, literally and figuratively, which begins and ends with an ultra-bokeh image. This bucolic tale is based on the chance encounter between Pierre, a man suffering from Asperger syndrome, and Louise, a widow, mother of two. The scenario might seem far-fetched and/or barely credible, but this observation is secondary: Louise is struggling to save her business of organic products, and any help would be welcome. Would Pierre be this providential help? During the film, the audience strolls with the main protagonists in an immense orchard lined with poppies and surrounded by fields of lavender or sunflowers. Thus, we see them taming to each other, as the fox and the little prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943). This film constantly rhymes with benevolence and sweetness. It's undoubtedly refreshing!
13 Reviews
Clouds man
dbdumonteil21 January 2017
My good friend writer's reign likes it;as he is a true French cinema connoisseur,I decided to have a look at " a sense of wonder" .
In westerns,the subject of the widow with a ranch to run is common; generally a handsome cowboy comes to the rescue ; in melodramas ,in Sirk's or Stahl 's works,particularly ,the widow may be actually an unwed mom ,but sometimes the mother does her walk of life in business.
Well,Louise is a widow with two children ;her tree cultivation family business is not really thriving ,there's a mortgage hanging on her head,and the man from the bank is a hateful macho:"it was your husband's job".
Up comes a man ;you're going to say :" even though their first encounter does not bode well,they will be in bed after twenty minutes "
Pas Du Tout
Pierre has a very high HQ :a computer wiz, a law expert , and above all a prime numbers lover :Louise is 37,what a beautiful number though he prefers 23 ! The clouds in the sky are prime numbers in disguise . Pierre is also an autistic ,a cousin of Dustin Hoffman 's "rain man " -who was brilliant at mental arithmetic - a man whose fate is to stay marginal ,unable to integrate the society ,apart from an old bookseller ...and maybe Louise..
Pierre and Louise will meet ,but only at the end of the movie ;it's a long way to love and understanding.Although very educated -and a bit pedantic- ,the man has his own way of thinking ,his own logic,his own rules which challenge the established order :for many people ,he is an outcast ; the golden rule of society you are part of is: it's all right provided you keep within the norm .
It's a feel-good movie ,but unlike bland flicks such " Les Chaises Musicales " or " L'Echappée Belle" ,it's ,in spite of its finer feelings ,a pretty work,with a nice cinematography (nature and sky) fine score,and excellent acting by Virginie Efira ,and mainly Benjamin Lavernhe ,De La Comédie Française ,in a complex part in which he achieves the feat of moving us with a restrained ,almost robotic performance .
"Inspiré Par Une Fée Réelle " (=n inspired by a real fairy) parodies the classic last (or first) sentence: "inspired by real facts" (Inspiré De Faits Réels ) ;Fait(fact) and Fée (fairy ) are homonyms in French.
It may be a fairy tale :with his "magic wand" ,(represented by the computer ) the wizard gets the house from the clutches of the bank,and saves the day ,including the boy's problems in maths and the daughter who is beyond her mom's authority.It may be Frank Capra's spirit who inspired Eric Besnard.
In westerns,the subject of the widow with a ranch to run is common; generally a handsome cowboy comes to the rescue ; in melodramas ,in Sirk's or Stahl 's works,particularly ,the widow may be actually an unwed mom ,but sometimes the mother does her walk of life in business.
Well,Louise is a widow with two children ;her tree cultivation family business is not really thriving ,there's a mortgage hanging on her head,and the man from the bank is a hateful macho:"it was your husband's job".
Up comes a man ;you're going to say :" even though their first encounter does not bode well,they will be in bed after twenty minutes "
Pas Du Tout
Pierre has a very high HQ :a computer wiz, a law expert , and above all a prime numbers lover :Louise is 37,what a beautiful number though he prefers 23 ! The clouds in the sky are prime numbers in disguise . Pierre is also an autistic ,a cousin of Dustin Hoffman 's "rain man " -who was brilliant at mental arithmetic - a man whose fate is to stay marginal ,unable to integrate the society ,apart from an old bookseller ...and maybe Louise..
Pierre and Louise will meet ,but only at the end of the movie ;it's a long way to love and understanding.Although very educated -and a bit pedantic- ,the man has his own way of thinking ,his own logic,his own rules which challenge the established order :for many people ,he is an outcast ; the golden rule of society you are part of is: it's all right provided you keep within the norm .
It's a feel-good movie ,but unlike bland flicks such " Les Chaises Musicales " or " L'Echappée Belle" ,it's ,in spite of its finer feelings ,a pretty work,with a nice cinematography (nature and sky) fine score,and excellent acting by Virginie Efira ,and mainly Benjamin Lavernhe ,De La Comédie Française ,in a complex part in which he achieves the feat of moving us with a restrained ,almost robotic performance .
"Inspiré Par Une Fée Réelle " (=n inspired by a real fairy) parodies the classic last (or first) sentence: "inspired by real facts" (Inspiré De Faits Réels ) ;Fait(fact) and Fée (fairy ) are homonyms in French.
It may be a fairy tale :with his "magic wand" ,(represented by the computer ) the wizard gets the house from the clutches of the bank,and saves the day ,including the boy's problems in maths and the daughter who is beyond her mom's authority.It may be Frank Capra's spirit who inspired Eric Besnard.
Feel Good Awe Whst
writers_reign1 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Though it has yet to play in England - indeed it may well be one of the many excellent French films that never make it across La Manche - the title has been translated as The Sense Of Wonder and it's not that far off the mark and it's not too difficult to envision writer- director Eric Besnard saying to himself 'let's start with a feelgood movie and work upwards' in an unconscious parody of Sam Goldwyn. What in fact he does start with is a lyrical rural setting in which we find a young, comely widow, living with her two young children. Within minutes, whilst distracted, she hits a young man with her car and although he is able to get up and walk unaided she takes it upon herself to tend to him. It is soon apparent that the man, although essentially harmless, does have 'issues' and this is where the film begins to resemble Eleanor Faucher's beautiful debut movie Brodeuses in that the two protagonists, whether they know and/or acknowledge it or not, are engaged in the process of mutual healing. Whilst a notch or two below Brodeuses - for one thing it lacks Ariane Ascaride - it is, nevertheless a fine, lyrical effort virtually guaranteed to put a smile on your lips and a tear in your eye.
My one and only "feelgood movie"...
thebadgeresss5 July 2019
Gentle warmth infusion
michi-021473 November 2016
I adore this movie. By nervously checking my watch repeatedly in fear that time would pass too quickly and the movie might be over it was obvious how much I wanted it to last longer.
As a lot of French movies it is a very gentle display of a delicate situation. There is some drama, there is sadness nevertheless there is this warm undertone in the background giving a feeling of hope.
Someone in favor of romantic movies, an audience who appreciates the not-overly dramatic progress of French films that some might mistake as slow, to those this movie will be a delight. It is a gem with lovable characters where even the "villains'" actions are understandable, where warmth and humanity reign before fast-beated action.
It is a good way to end a day. I strongly recommend having a pear pie with it. Enjoy!
As a lot of French movies it is a very gentle display of a delicate situation. There is some drama, there is sadness nevertheless there is this warm undertone in the background giving a feeling of hope.
Someone in favor of romantic movies, an audience who appreciates the not-overly dramatic progress of French films that some might mistake as slow, to those this movie will be a delight. It is a gem with lovable characters where even the "villains'" actions are understandable, where warmth and humanity reign before fast-beated action.
It is a good way to end a day. I strongly recommend having a pear pie with it. Enjoy!
Wonderful
lilianacaldeira11 August 2019
Fascinating
sergelamarche16 April 2020
A charming, perfect, sweet, sweet, sweet film!
WBMartens6 January 2021
What an unexpected surprise. Beautiful use of natural light, perfect composition, brilliant performances, rich and clever storytelling, and flawless continuity and editing, all of which didn't occur to me until the film was over and I had time to think about it. The best hour and thirty-eight minutes I've spent doing anything in a long time.
Beautiful, Meaningful Film
dsellet18 February 2021
Filled with the wonders of Nature, and great cinematography of the Rhone/Alpes region of France. Beautiful story, also, about the wonders of the human mind and of altruistic Love. Sooo refreshing, compared to typical Hollywood fare. . . .
Drome, France is Breathtaking
sjanders-8643030 November 2020
Viginie Efira's husband died doing a dangerous sport. Now with two children and an in- debt pear farm she meets Benjamin Lavernhe who is trying to escape from a state official trying to analyze his danger to the state. He has hacked into some high level documents. When hit by Virginie's car, Benjamin goes home with her and discovers he loves her, her children, and the farm. He is good looking, honest, and the children find him very appealing. Benjamin does get analyzed and decides he wants to live with Virginie. His sense of wonder has captured the family. Since autism and all levels on the spectrum are everywhere, this story is completely relevant. Of course people on the spectrum will fall in love and finally feel it is where they belong. Sense of Wonder shows how an open heart and mind can inspire hope and changes.
Unexpected feature film that u'll fall in love for sure!!!
bavan-1114724 December 2015
Some film catch you from the first scene! Le goût des merveilles is that kind of film! It deals with a lot of subjects from social gathering, agriculture and love. I was relief and fresh when I came out from the theater! It's absolutely a delight for people who is looking for a feel good movie. Every artists performed very cleverly their role and they need o special standing ovation. In this magnum opus the director, the screen writer, cameraman and the editor have done a matured job. I must felicitated the main male and female lead. You'll know the reason when you'll come back after watching this beautiful drama!
Once again, hats off to the whole team!
Way to go...
bavan
Once again, hats off to the whole team!
Way to go...
bavan
Romantic Idyll
ozgureloz30 August 2022
Mediterranean nature, with French style provincial homes, fruit gardens and idyllic country roads, is an actor in this film although we don't see his name in the casting.
How can Romanticism and Asperger's syndrome exist together in a most unlikely love story? This movie is an answer with a subtile French humor. Although some may think Asperger's syndrome is a bit idealized in this scenario, and there is a logical mistake in the story, the beauty of the scenery, cinematic narration and the sophisticated reflection of the relationships by showing some details seemingly mundane and ordinary, are enough for compensation. The ordinary and mundane things are reflected as if (and as some of us experience, indeed) they are miraculous.
How can Romanticism and Asperger's syndrome exist together in a most unlikely love story? This movie is an answer with a subtile French humor. Although some may think Asperger's syndrome is a bit idealized in this scenario, and there is a logical mistake in the story, the beauty of the scenery, cinematic narration and the sophisticated reflection of the relationships by showing some details seemingly mundane and ordinary, are enough for compensation. The ordinary and mundane things are reflected as if (and as some of us experience, indeed) they are miraculous.
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