The Names of Love
Film poster
Directed by	Michel Leclerc
Written by	Michel Leclerc Baya Kasmi
Produced by	Antoine Rein Fabrice Goldstein Caroline Adrian
Starring	Jacques Gamblin Sara Forestier
Cinematography	Vincent Mathias
Edited by	Nathalie Hubert
Music by	Jérôme Bensoussan David Euverte
Production companies	Delante Films Karé Productions TF1 Droits Audiovisuels
Distributed by	UGC Distribution
Release date	10 July 2010 (2010-07-10)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	France
Language	French
Budget	$2.5 million
Box office	$6.1 million[1]

The Names of Love (French: Le Nom des gens) is a 2010 French romantic comedy film directed by Michel Leclerc, written by Leclerc and Baya Kasmi, and produced by Antoine Rein, Fabrice Goldstein and Caroline Adrian. The film recorded 764,821 admissions in Europe.^[2]

The film was awarded two César Awards in 2011, including Best Actress for Sara Forestier and Best Original Screenplay.^[3]

Plot

The film is semi-biographical, documenting the life of a young woman who uses sex as a weapon to influence right-wing individuals and conservative Muslims. Bahia Benmahmoud (Sara Forestier), a scatter-brained, free-spirited, young left-wing activist, sleeps with her political opposites in order to manipulate them to her cause, until she finds her match in Arthur Martin (Jacques Gamblin).

Cast

• Jacques Gamblin as Arthur Martin
• Sara Forestier as Bahia Benmahmoud
• Zinedine Soualem as Mohamed Benmahmoud
• Carole Franck as Cécile Delivet Benmahmoud
• Jacques Boudet as Lucien Martin
• Michèle Moretti as Annette Martin
• Zakariya Gouram as Hassan Hassini
• Antoine Michel as photographer

The former French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin makes a cameo appearance.

Production

In the scene one in which Sara Forestier walks naked (with only her boots on) through the streets and subway, most of the people she encounters were unaware that a movie was being shot.^[4]

Reception

The Names of Love received generally positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an aggregate score of 72%, based on 53 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10.^[5] The film also has a score of 62 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 19 reviews.^[6]