Céline Devaux’s charming debut feature is an unconventional rom-com and a compelling portrait of grief that makes innovative use of hand-drawn animation within its live-action narrative.

In high school, Jeanne (a magnificent Blanche Gardin, France) was the girl everyone loved. But things haven’t quite turned out how she planned. Thirty-six and on the brink of bankruptcy, she’s left with little choice but to leave Paris, return to Lisbon, and pack up her dead mother’s apartment to put it on the market. As her life falls apart, Jeanne runs into both the odd Jean (Laurent Lafitte, Elle, MIFF 2016), who remembers her from high school and has harboured a long-time crush, and her now-married ex-boyfriend, Vitor (Nuno Lopes, Saint George) – with unexpected consequences.

A graduate of the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris, Devaux uses animation in original and unexpected ways (she won a César in 2016 for Best Animated Short Film), here unleashing Jeanne’s inner turmoil via strange hairy creatures who represent her often-mocking subconscious. More cynical about love than the average rom-com, Everybody Loves Jeanne – screening at MIFF direct from Cannes Critics’ Week – is a witty, melancholy and frequently surprising look at a woman in crisis just doing her best.

“Charming … Top notch performances from Gardin and Laurent Lafitte elevate this sparky romantic comedy into something rather special.” – Screen Daily