VIFF Review: Miss and the Doctors

You know what’s refreshing? A movie about a romance between adults, made by adults and for adults. Miss and the Doctors, or Tirez la Langue, Mademoiselle (Stick Out Your Tongue, Miss, roughly translated) if you prefer the original French title, is just that. It’s a romantic drama about two brothers, opposites dependent on one another, who fall for the same woman, and how their relationship changes as a result.

2014 Vancouver International Film Festival

What I liked most about Tirez la Langue is that it’s a romantic movie but not a romantic comedy. It has moments of humour, but the story is grounded in believable characters behaving in believable ways.

As the story starts, two brothers, both doctors, run a practice together in Paris. They’re both so devoted to their work that they’ve both remained bachelors. Enter Judith, a beautiful young mother they meet due to her daughter needing a house call, and they both fall in love.

Each of the brothers is given enough screen time with Judith to make their feelings believable, and Louise Bourgoin is pretty effortless in her role, being confident and vulnerable due to her character’s circumstances.

But then, when everyone finds out what is going on, there are no wacky hijinks, no over-the-top fights, and no ridiculous competition. I won’t spoil how it goes down, but it’s refreshing and believable.

Miss and the Doctors doesn’t have a general North American release date yet, but it likely will in the near future. It’s a lovely little film and completely worth checking out if you get the chance.