Up For Love 2016 Guide

Upon its release in France in May 2016 (and later internationally on Netflix), Up for Love received mixed but generally positive reviews.

Critics praised the chemistry between Dujardin and Efira, calling it "effervescent" and "genuinely moving." The Hollywood Reporter noted that while the premise feels like a sitcom setup, the film "transcends its logline through sheer wattage of its stars."

However, some critics, particularly those within the dwarfism community, expressed concern that a non-dwarf actor was cast in the role using digital effects. Others argued the film, while well-intentioned, occasionally fell into "preachy" territory.

Despite the debate, audiences overwhelmingly embraced the film. It was a commercial success in France and found a massive second life on streaming platforms, where it became a word-of-mouth hit for couples looking for a smart, adult romantic comedy.

To make Up for Love work, the filmmakers needed more than special effects. They needed an actor of immense physicality and charm. Enter Jean Dujardin, the Oscar-winning star of The Artist. Using a combination of camera tricks, forced perspective, and a double for wide shots, Dujardin was digitally shortened to play Alexandre. up for love 2016

However, what makes the performance brilliant is not the technical trickery, but Dujardin’s attitude. He plays Alexandre not as a "little person" defined by his stature, but as a giant of a man trapped in a world not built for him. He is suave, dominant, and effortlessly cool. When he walks into a business meeting, he owns the room. When he dances, he is fluid and graceful. When he kisses Diane, it is with the passion of a romantic lead twice his size.

The film cleverly subverts the "inspirational dwarf" trope. Alexandre is not a saint. He gets angry, he makes mistakes, and he has a temper. He refuses to be Diane's "project" or her secret shame. His greatest weapon is his refusal to apologize for his body. This performance elevates Up for Love from a gimmicky rom-com to a genuine character study.

Up for Love isn’t a movie about a short man. It’s a movie about a tall woman learning to see past her own shadow. It’s funny, tender, and uncomfortable in the best way.

In a genre filled with manicured millionaires and impossible meet-cutes, here’s a film that dares to say: Love is an act of defiance. Upon its release in France in May 2016

Go into it with an open mind. You might just forget about the height, too.

Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5)

Have you seen “Up for Love”? Did you find it charming or cringe-worthy? Drop a comment below.

Given that the title “Up for Love 2016” is most closely associated with the Chinese film directed by Jiao Shou (叫兽易小星) and starring Li Xian (李现) and Yang Ying (Angelababy), this post will focus on that movie. What could have been a tasteless, one-joke movie

What could have been a tasteless, one-joke movie instead becomes a sharp, warm study of our own prejudices.

Director Laurent Tirard (known for Little Nicholas and The Molière Impromptu) does something smart: He never lets the camera angle down on Alexandre. We don’t look down on him. The camera sits at his eye level. The world—car doors, countertops, other actors’ chins—adjusts awkwardly around him.

Jean Dujardin (yes, the Oscar-winning star of The Artist) plays Alexandre with zero self-pity. He’s not a sad sack. He’s confident, funny, fit, wealthy, and emotionally intelligent. The only thing "wrong" with him is the world’s reaction to him. When Diane finally admits her shallow panic, Alexandre responds not with anger, but with a devastatingly calm line:

“You didn’t run away because I’m short. You ran away because you’re afraid of what other people will think when they see you with me.”