Monday, September 22, 2025 In her utterly charming debut, writer-director Laura Piani
draws from Austen’s works while crafting a wholly contemporary romantic comedy
that stands on its own merits. A breezy and smart exploration of the competing
modern desires for both connection and escapism, Piani’s film also delves into
how past tragedies and heartbreaks can cause us to live like supporting
characters in our own lives. As a clerk in the legendary British bookshop in Paris,
Shakespeare & Co, Agathe (Camille Rutherford) loves her job. But there are
faint stirrings of discontentment when she realizes how long she has been
surrounded by stories of others’ desires and adventures instead of chasing her
own. Perpetually single, she hopes to find a romance like those in the novels
of her favourite author, Jane Austen, in which love triangles, ardent admirers,
and reckless unrequited crushes abound. Supported by her encouraging — and
conspicuously rakish — best friend Felix (Pablo Pauly), Agathe leaves for a
Jane Austen writing residency. Upon arrival, she meets a distant relation of
the author, the handsome — and haughty — Oliver Lowe (Charlie Anson). Between
the writing obligations, realizing that she may miss Felix, and constantly
running into the intriguing Mr. Lowe, Agathe’s life has taken a stressful, yet
strangely familiar, turn…. France | 2024 | 94m | English, French Director: Laura Piani Cast & Crew - Camille Rutherford, Pablo Pauly. Charlie
Anson, Annabelle Lengronne
Content advisory: nudity |
