Les combattants 2014

Kyle Smith, New York Post: A sort of grown-up version of "Moonrise Kingdom," France's "Love at First Fight" has some youthful free-range charm but not nearly as much as its predecessor. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: Aggression, not affection, sparks romance in Les Combattants, a promising feature debut that already had members of the French film establishment touting newcomer Thomas Cailley as the next big thing. Read more

Jesse Hassenger, AV Club: Even when it's slowing down, Fight shows beguiling confidence in both its filmmaking and its characters-enough to make its smallest romantic moments feel significant. Read more

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader: This debut feature by French writer-director Thomas Cailley is the rare romantic comedy that's satisfying as genre entertainment but also inspires serious thought on pertinent social issues. Read more

Clarence Tsui, Hollywood Reporter: Love at First Fight is overflowing with relentlessly acerbic humor that shapes the way the film's two young protagonists contend with not just each other, but also with the uncertainties of the world they're emerging into as adults. Read more

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: There's a better movie floating around the edges of the French import "Love at First Fight" than first-time feature director Thomas Cailley has allowed to surface. Read more

Richard Brody, New Yorker: For a movie about bodily endurance and rugged adventure, Cailley's direction is oddly detached-he lets the script (which he co-wrote with Claude Le Pape) suggest the tough work and hardly bothers to film it. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: For its first two-thirds, the film, written and directed by Thomas Cailley, seems to be groundbreaking. Then it slides into comforting familiarity. Read more

David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle: All in all, this film is refreshingly original, an existential, boy-meets-survivalist romantic comedy. Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: Director Thomas Cailley conjures up a vivid, unusual world, offering a playful reversal of usual gender roles. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: Rejuvenating the romantic comedy through its unusual premise - in which training for an elite army unit releases a flood of pheromones - Cailley's film is also buoyed by its enormously appealing leads ... Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: What starts out as a promisingly unique tale of a macho woman and the meek guy who falls for her turns into something else once Madeleine leaves for training camp and Arnaud follows. Read more