Our Lovers

Our Lovers (Nuestros amantes) is a 2016 Spanish-French romantic comedy film written and directed by Miguel Ángel Lamata. It stars Eduardo Noriega, Michelle Jenner, Fele Martínez, Amaia Salamanca, and Gabino Diego.

The plot explores the relationship between frustrated writer Carlos and dreamer Irene upon their meeting in a café, as they begin to flirt even though they set as a rule to forbid themselves to fall in love with each other.

The Spanish film has English subtitles.

Plot
Carlos, a successful but frustrated screenwriter in Zaragoza, Spain, is coping with romantic and professional disappointments. His wife of 8 years, Maria, has asked for a 2-month separation “to think things over.” He aspires to write a serious dramatic play, Bukowski and Capote in Hell, instead of what he considers the silly low-brow―but popular―animated comedy movies “Mema y Lerda” (Ditzy and Bozo) that Carlos and his partner, Cristobal, are serializing.

In a bookstore coffee shop, Carlos meets Irene, who sits down at his table and proposes an intriguing game that he cannot resist: two strangers should set aside the meaningless conventions and pretensions that get in the way of candor and behave the guileless way children do when first meeting at a park. She says that children spontaneously agree to play together for a time without “burdensome details,” without preconceptions or expectations, to see where the friendship might lead. Irene's only pre-condition: do not fall in love. Carlos deems Irene a beautiful prototypical “manic pixie dream girl.”

Carlos doesn't immediately share with Irene that he has other reasons for accepting her invitation to get to know each other “unburdened by expectations.” He has recently discovered that his wife, Maria, is having an affair with Jorge, Irene’s poet former boyfriend of 2 years. A few weeks into Maria’s proposed 2-month separation from their marriage, a suspicious Carlos trailed her, discovering Maria’s affair with Jorge. A few days later, Carlos followed Jorge undetected to a bookstore café and witnessed Jorge’s breakup with Irene and her resulting devastation. At this same bookstore, a few days later, Irene—unaware of Carlos’s connection to Jorge’s lover—had approached Carlos with the “fresh start” proposition. Intrigued, Carlos doesn't immediately disclose to Irene the complication in their “unburdened” relationship.

They arrange a meeting in a week's time. At a museum and park, in a series of conversations and situations―still without knowing each other’s names―Carlos and Irene exchange philosophies of life, literary aspirations, love, and past bad relationships. When Carlos eventually reveals to Irene their Jorge-Maria connection, they discuss what failings in their respective characters made each obsessed by a narcissist. Carlos cynically posits that their partners have left them to find someone better. If they return, it's because they failed to find anyone better, not because they gained insight or appreciation.

Drawn to each other, Carlos and Irene have sex, still without knowing each other’s names. Afterwards, they return to the bookstore café, where Maria and Jorge encounter them, each calling out the name of Carlos or Irene, thus affecting an introduction. Irene and Carlos believe they are now better able to deal with the manipulations of their narcissists as each couple discusses what caused the failure of their relationship.

Carlos and Maria agree to attempt a reconciliation for the sake of their 5-year-old daughter, Laura. Jorge finds Irene less complacent; Irene tells Jorge that he has cheated on her once before and that they are now over for good. Irene tells Carlos that she understands that he cannot break off his marriage so easily for his daughter’s sake, and they both agree that they have shared unforgettable moments together.

While packing up his things at Cristobal’s house, where he has been staying during his separation, Carlos discusses his reasons for accepting Maria back. Cristobal discloses that prior to the trial separation, Maria seduced him when Carlos was out of town on business. Carlos realizes that Maria will never change.

Two weeks later, Irene sits alone at a table at the bookstore cafe. Carlos joins her, having paid the waiter to tip him off when she next appeared. Irene teases him, saying she is waiting for Jorge. Carlos asks incredulously if she is back with Jorge for a third time. Irene tells him that she has not seen Jorge since the night she told them they were through but points out that it only took Maria three minutes to win Carlos back. Carlos informs her that he did not reconcile with Maria. They declare their love for each other and agree to continue to get to know each other better.

Production
The film was produced by Bemybaby Films alongside La Ferme! Productions. Shooting locations in Aragon included Zaragoza, Teruel, and Boltaña.

Release
The film premiered as the closing film of the 19th Málaga Film Festival on 30 April 2016. Distributed by Filmax, it was released theatrically in Spain on 3 June 2016.

Reception
Javier Ocaña of El País wrote that "most of the dialogues, which could be daring, are just blushing".

Beatriz Martínez of Fotogramas rated the film 2 out of 5 stars, singling out Jenner and her natural charm as the best thing about the film, while citing the "dialogues bordering on the ridiculous" as the film's worst.

Sergio F. Pinilla of Cinemanía rated the film 1½ out of 5 stars, describing it as a rom-com with dialogues "that break the whole".