Romantics Anonymous 2010

‘I have no problem with women,’ chocolatier Jean-René assures his therapist. ‘They just terrify me, that’s all.’ He masks his affliction by giving abrupt orders to his chocolate factory staff and hiding in his office. When Angelique, also acutely timid, drums up the courage to apply for a job at the factory, she’s under the mistaken impression she’ll be doing what she does best: making chocolates. Her role is in fact to market the wares and boost declining sales, an excruciating task for a person who faints when praised and has developed peculiar strategies to mask her praiseworthy talents. Watching this perfectly matched, tongue-tied twosome trying to overcome miscommunication through diligent effort – and succeeding through a shared passion for chocolate – is a sweet treat. — SR

“A modest, but absolutely delicious, confection packed with bittersweet humour and genuine charm… This sprightly tale of two abnormally shy individuals… neither of whom realises the other also suffers from the constant tension of heightened emotional sensitivity – deserves to get out and see the world… Unlike some other, better-known conditions and addictions hyper-emotionalism may be easier to mask. Ironically, sufferers are often mistaken for being self-assured when it’s more likely they’re dying a thousand deaths. Director and co-writer Améris, himself afflicted with the condition, turns clinical shyness into a source of gentle, consistently touching comedy.” — Lisa Nesselsen, Screendaily