Alexandre is a very human character. He is complicated: His love for his fiancée Laure is real but his fears are too. He hurts her deeply and yet simply *has* to do it. It's a fact of life. Laure in fact understands him but cannot let go of him completely which makes her very convincing as we all know how hard it can be to let a beloved person go. She finally comes to recognize the depth of Alexandre's love for Fanfan and shows deep insight in finally accepting it. Opposed to this understanding is Fanfan. For a long time she loves Alexandre but fails to understand him to the fullest. The portrayed characters are full of passion, of life and contradictions which makes the film very convincing - a tragedy, a comedy and a romance. Very special, very good, very french.