My Donkey, My Lover & I is the latest independent film to be widely praised by critics, after receiving a perfect score via Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews so far.
The film has been described as "a French comedic road movie" and follows primary school teacher Antoinette (Laure Calamy), who is elated about her upcoming vacation with her married lover, Vladimir (Benjamin Lavernhe), but their plans are upended when his wife books a surprise hiking trip.
Its official plot reads: "On an impulse, Antoinette heads to the same mountainous region of the Cévennes National Park, with an itinerary inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic 1878 memoir Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes."
Originally released in 2020, the film now has a more general release on streaming services and it is currently available to watch via Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, MUBI and Google Play.
My Donkey, My Lover, & I will open in New York on June 17, 2022 at the Angelika Film Center, before heading to Los Angeles on June 24, 2022. However, we don't know how wide the cinematic release for the film will be.
So far, reviews for My Donkey, My Lover & I have been hugely positive, with lots of praise for lead actress Laure Calamy who won a César Award for her performance, which is considered to be the highest film honor in France.
The Guardian review notes: "Calamy really grounds the movie with her funny, generous performance." and Fiction Machine adds: "This is not a film to inspire belly laughs, but absolutely one to inspire constant, pleasant smiles. It is wonderful stuff - modest yet perfectly formed."
The Sunday Times also covered it, writing: "full of nice landscapes and wistful Gallic leisure, it's a pleasant stroll."
A trailer for the unique romantic film is also available, which gives us a proper look at what to expect. In it, we see Antoinette struggling to connect with a donkey during her impulsive trip, as well as inevitably running into her lover and his family! You can watch it below.
My Donkey, My Lover, & I opens in New York on June 17 and is currently available on streaming services for global audiences.
