anais in love review

Anaïs only begins to feel an emotional connection with this woman after reading her writings, yet her actions are driven more by self-interest than by a genuine desire for a mutual relationship. Anaïs is so consumed by her own experiences that she appears unable to imagine anything outside of that experience or how it impacts others in the process, while seeming emotionally unstable, like an exposed nerve that functions solely from reactionary responses. Her inability to understand that love is not just thinking you are in love, or feeling it momentarily, but building intimacy and trust in a mutual relationship devoid of ownership, explains her shock when she is rejected by the person she has chosen to love.

There was more than one moment when I felt Anaïs was on the verge of inflicting physical harm onto others, dissolving predictability and anticipating a complete tonal shift in the film. While these foresights never materialize, they only deepen the intrigue, portraying a character whose randomness and organic nature enhance her realism. None of these reactions and observations are criticisms, as I frequently find unlikable characters interesting to observe, especially when the filmmaker is not trying to manipulate you into feeling one way or another about a character but just to observe and watch. It is that aspect of the writing which I felt only strengthened this unassuming film about a young woman’s relationship with being desired and her own desires.