Love Songs for Tough Guys

Love Songs for Tough Guys (French: Cette musique ne joue pour personne, lit.'This Music Plays for No One') is a 2021 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Samuel Benchetrit. It stars François Damiens, Ramzy Bedia, Vanessa Paradis, Gustave Kervern, JoeyStarr, Bouli Lanners, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Vincent Macaigne. The film follows an aging gang of crooks who have to deal with a younger gang on their turf.

Love Songs for Tough Guys
Theatrical release poster
FrenchCette musique ne joue pour personne
Directed bySamuel Benchetrit
Screenplay by
  • Samuel Benchetrit
  • Gábor Rassov
Adaptation bySamuel Benchetrit
Dialogue bySamuel Benchetrit
Produced byJulien Madon
Starring
Cinematography
  • Pierre Aïm
  • David Quesemand (segment "India")
Edited byClémence Diard
Music byJeanne Trellu
Production
companies
  • A Single Man Productions
  • UGC
  • JM Films
  • Gapbusters
  • Shelter Prod
  • RTBF
  • Proximus
  • VOO
  • BeTV
  • Movie Pictures
  • Pictanovo
Distributed byUGC Distribution
Release dates
  • 10 July 2021 (2021-07-10) (Cannes)
  • 29 September 2021 (2021-09-29) (France)
Running time
107 minutes
Countries
  • France
  • Belgium
LanguageFrench
Box office$655,228[1]

The film had its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere section of the Cannes Film Festival on 10 July 2021.[2] It was released in France on 29 September 2021 by UGC Distribution.[3]

Premise

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An aged criminal gang do their illegal business at a shipping port in Northern France. An accountant owes money to the boss. One of the gang members is sent to track him down and is somehow roped into taking part in a play. They have to deal with the actions of a gang on the same port who are much younger and take shots at them.

Cast

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Production

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The film is a French-Belgian production. It was staged by A Single Man Productions and JM Films.[4] It was directed by Samuel Benchetrit who also wrote the screenplay with Gábor Rassov. The cinematographer was Pierre Aïm. The editing was done by Clémence Diard. It was produced by Julien Madon, with co-producers, Joseph Rouschop and Jean-Yves Roubin.[5]

Principal photography began in July 2019 in Longpont-sur-Orge,[6] with filming taking place in Dunkirk as well.[7]

Reception

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Davide Abbatescianni of Cineuropa felt that the plot is "quite uneven, but Benchetrit tries to unite the characters by choosing the overarching theme of the search for love", adding that "[t]he feeling one gets, however, is one of watching more of a juxtaposition of scenes and situations that are rarely coherent in terms of the narration."[4] Matilda Marseillaise noted the aging gang members finding their softer sides while struggling to suppress their violent natures which occasionally come up. Calling it a joy to watch, the reviewer also said it was a "thoroughly enjoyable comedic journey into the lives of men finding their softer sides".[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Love Song for Tough Guys (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  2. ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2021" (Press release). Cannes Film Festival. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Cette musique ne joue pour personne" (in French). UGC Distribution. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  4. ^ a b Abbatescianni, Davide (13 July 2021). "Review: Love Songs for Tough Guys". Cineuropa.
  5. ^ Nordine, Michael (11 November 2021). "'Love Songs for Tough Guys' Review: Thugs Deserve Romance Too in Lighthearted Romp Poetry, theater, and love intermingle in coastal France". Variety.
  6. ^ Elboudrari, Maya (18 July 2019). "Essonne : Samuel Benchetrit avec son épouse Vanessa Paradis à Longpont-sur-Orge". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  7. ^ "Love Songs for Tough Guys". Film France CNC. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  8. ^ Marseillaise, Matilda (9 November 2021). "Love Songs for Tough Guys: a comedy about ageing gang members getting in touch with their softer sides". MatildaMarseillaise.com.
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