Friday Streaming - To Each, Her Own on Netflix is a farce in the name of a rom-com that touches upon queer issues

Directed by Myriam Aziza, 'To Each, Her Own' had a brilliant plot but it's ridiculously problematic for more reasons than one!

For any rom-com to work, the film needs heart first and foremost, and this French farcical rom-com, Les goûts et Les Couleurs aka 'To Each, Her Own' doesn't make you feel anything. It ends up sounding superficial and doesn't delve deeper into the protagonist's confusion regarding her sexuality, which is what the entire film is based on!

Cast - Sarah Stern plays Simone Benloulou, a Jewish lesbian who is confused about her sexuality throughout the movie. Simone often wanders about with a zoned-out face in this movie and at one point, she apologizes to a pole. Jean-Christophe Folly plays Wali, an anti-Semitic Senegalese chef who doesn't seem to understand boundaries. Julia Piaton plays Claire, Simone's girlfriend and probably the only sane character in this film barring the ending scene.

Storyline - A bank employee working in Paris, Simone Benloulou is a closeted lesbian who is in a long-term relationship with Claire and the two of them have built a world of their own. Coming from an observant and orthodox Jewish family, Simone hasn't had the courage to come out to her parents and tell them about Claire. This leads to her family incessantly trying to set her up with Jewish boys. Burdened by all of this, Simone eventually proposes to Claire while she finds herself attracted to Wali, a talented Senegalese chef.

Watch the trailer here!

What I didn't quite like - This film screams 'Yes is no' which is so problematic, I can't even. The end is abrupt, non-consensual, and contradicts what Claire and Wali think and feel throughout the film. For a film that is probably about bisexuality, there is no dialogue about it throughout the film. This movie touches upon way too many themes, characters, and storylines instead of focusing on Simone's inner conflict and self-discovery. The script is stuck in making jokes around being confused about your sexuality! To Each, Her Own talks about sexuality, religion, and race but doesn't do justice to any of them. The dubbing doesn't help this film in the least.

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