Romantics Anonymous is a delightfully sweet comedy where love, chocolate and social anxiety blend to make a deliciously offbeat treat.

The film begins with chocolatier Angelique (Isabelle Varre) singing a little ditty to herself about self-esteem, confidence and love of life. Unfortunately these lyrics don’t reflect Angelique one bit with her life going ashtray thanks to her crippling shyness.

That changes when Angelique meets Jean-Rene (Benoit Poelvoorde), the owner of a near bankrupt chocolate factory whose social anxiety makes Woody Allen look like George Clooney.

Carre’s cute as pie demeanour and Pelvoorde’s high strung persona makes for an interesting combination, yet one that works. That they are not your “typical” stock found in a romantic comedy is a plus in this film where strange courts strange.

Director Jean-Pierre Ameris doesn’t go overboard with the eccentricities of his characters. There phobia’s and anxiety’s feel real and completely sympathetic. A scene where the two sit for dinner in a fancy restaurant without the slightest clue on how to conduct themselves is funny, but also slightly sad.

Yet Ameris doesn’t dwell too long on the tragedy of their conditions. Romantics Anonymous is a film that looks on the bright side of life and it’s fun to watch this pair of awkward chocolatiers fall in love and in synch with one another.

Carre is endearingly fragile as Angelique, and Poelvoorde (who is known for is hard man roles) is surprisingly astute in this comedic role, never going overboard with his characters ticks and grimaces.

Many scenes feature characters making, eating and adoring chocolate, yet the relationship between Angelique and Jean-Rene is as sweet as any box of chocolates. They may have a phobia of life, but that doesn’t stop them taking that great plunge into love. Romantics, after all, wear their hearts on their sleeves for all to see.   

So for those with a sweet tooth, there is much to enjoy in Romantics Anonymous.