Adapted from Anna Gavalda's bestseller, "Hunting and Gathering" (Ensemble, c'est tout) is the story of four destinies at a crossroads, four people who learn each other's ways, come to know one another, love one another and live under a single roof. Camille (Audrey Tautou) works in the evening as an office cleaning woman, making graceful drawings in her free time. Philibert (Laurent Stoker) is a young, aristocratic history buff. Timid, emotional and solitary, he occupies a spacious apartment owned by his family. Franck (Guillaume Canet) is a cook who has an undying love for his grandmother, a fragile and funny woman named Paulette. Together, they learn to ease their doubts and sorrows and make their dreams come true.
Based on Anna Gavalda's 2004 novel "Ensemble, c'est tout", or its English translation, "Hunting And Gathering", this is a French romantic comedy movie starring the beautiful Audrey Tautou and Guillaume Canet. It'll probably look like any typical American rom-com, but this movie really shows people that life isn't always what it seems and others can touch lives in the most mysterious of ways.
In "Hunting And Gathering", we meet Camille, an anorexic artist and who lives together with Philibert (Laurent Stocker) and Franck (Guillaume Canet). Against all odds, they form a bond and welcomes Franck's grandmother Paulette into their home, who previously had to live at the old folks centre.
The movie has a very entertaining storyline, though it was slowly paced for the first half an hour. But when Camille falls ill and Philibert insists that she stays with them, the story becomes more interesting and engaging. We get to see a relationship develop between Camille and Philibert's housemate, Franck. From their initial hatred to each other, it's obvious that both of them are destined to be together. We also see Philibert's efforts in overcoming his stuttering problem and become an actor.
Audrey Tautou ("The Da Vinci Code") plays Camille, an anorexic artist who works as a cleaning lady to exasperate her mother. She does a great job in this movie and she definitely appears very thin, which fits very well with her character! Guillaume Canet plays Franck, a rude and womanising chef who works all week and spends his day off visiting her grandmother. Although Franck is a womaniser and is constantly rude to Camille, his soft side can still be seen as he takes care of his grandmother. On the other hand, Laurent Stocker gives an astonishing and touching performance as a person who tries to overcome his speech disorder and fulfil his dreams as an actor.
Overall, "Hunting And Gathering" is a warm-hearted and inspiring movie that shows real emotion. So if you're in the mood for a beautiful love story, watch this.