In Monia Chokri’s “The Nature of Love” (“Simple comme Sylvain”), a posh French-Canadian woman in a sexless marriage turns her life upside down for an affair with her contractor.
The film, which is being shopped to buyers in Cannes by Mk2 Films, will world premiere in Un Certain Regard on May 19.
Magalie Lépine-Blondeau delivers a powerhouse performance as Sofia, a 40-year-old philosophy professor in a stable yet stifling relationship with long-term partner Xavier.
When they buy a chalet to refurbish, she meets the strapping, jovial Sylvain (Pierre-Yves Cardinal), who arrives one day to provide a quote for the renovations. The pair jump headlong into a steamy relationship, but as their romance wears on, Sofia realizes that their backgrounds and interests make them far more different than she first thought.
Chokri previously directed “My Brother’s Wife,” which won the Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard in 2019. Chokri, who directs and wrote the screenplay, also acts in “The Nature of Love,” playing Sofia’s whacky best friend Françoise, a harried housewife and mother to young children who’s all in favor of her friend’s illicit affair.
The Quebec-born Chokri’s other directing credits include “Babysitter,” which was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards in 2022.
Lépine-Blondeau most recently starred in Xavier Dolan’s TV series “The Night Logan Woke Up” and cult favorite series “Letterkenny.” Her other credits include Chokri’s “My Brother’s Wife,” “Restless River” and “Merci pour tout.”
Cardinal’s credits include Dolan’s films “Tom at the Farm” and “Mommy” as well as the TV series “Les jeunes loups” and “Béliveau.”
Watch an exclusive clip for “The Nature of Love” above.