Favorite French Actor Stars in New Netflix Rom-Com for Notting Hill Fans!

What’s the Story About?

Abel Camara is the big star of the moment, and when Marion, the quintessential “girl next door,” does him a favor one day, neither of them suspects that it marks the beginning of a grand love story.

An Actor Enchanted

While we await his return in the role of Lupin and his appearance in the Tyler Rake spin-off, Omar Sy takes on a lover’s role—a genre we’re unaccustomed to seeing this favorite French actor explore.

He steps into the shoes of Abel Camara, a vain superstar who begins to question himself after meeting the sweet yet spirited Marion (Sara Giraudeau), a freshly divorced woman who speaks her mind. Perhaps this is just what he needs as his career starts to flounder. The connection between them isn’t obvious at first. But what starts as a publicity stunt turns into a touching love story, somewhat of a reverse Notting Hill scenario.

This is the plot of French Lover, the latest French romantic comedy on the platform. Netflix teamed up with three experts in the genre—Noémie Saglio (Plan Coeur), Hugo Gélin (Mon inconnue), and Nina Rives (Demain tout commence, featuring Omar Sy). It’s Nina Rives who directs the film, marking her directorial debut. This trio is sure to strike a chord with audiences, delivering authentic, quality narratives.

As such, French Lover is everything we hoped for: the actors are impressive—Sara Giraudeau shines—there’s a good dose of humor, the shots of Paris are beautiful, and it’s refreshing to see an interracial couple on screen. It will appeal to fans of the genre and those interested in seeing the actors in versatile roles.

Pascale Arbillot, Alban Ivanov, Xavier Lacaille, and Amaury de Crayencour round out the cast. Now, it remains to be seen whether French Lover will capture the interest of the French public and also manage to make an impact internationally. With an English title and a lead actor who is stacking up projects in the United States, Netflix has reason to be hopeful.