God Is Great and I'm Not is a 2001 film from France directed by Pascale Bailly.
Michelle (Audrey Tautou) is a high-spirited fashion model who, as the film opens, is in low spirits. She has just broken up with her boyfriend—it was her idea, but she's still depressed about it, as shown by how she breaks down in tears at a party for her friends. At that party, she meets Francois, a veterinarian. He chats her up, takes her home to his place, they have sex, and immediately afterwards she tries to kill herself by overdosing on pills.
Francois is pretty upset at this, but he visits Michelle in the hospital and soon enough they are dating. Michelle is a spiritual seeker who, soon after being discharged from the hospital, converts from Catholicism to Buddhism. Francois, as it happens, is Jewish. Even though Francois himself is not religiously observant, Michelle is motivated to convert again, to Judaism.
Tropes:
- Converting for Love: Michelle's whole idea in converting to Judaism. Francois isn't too crazy about it, and eventually it causes them to break up.
- Distant Finale: The last scene skips forward six months to Valerie's wedding, and one last meeting between Michelle and Francois.
- Downer Beginning: The opening scene has Michelle breaking down into tears at a party after splitting up with her boyfriend. Soon after she tries to kill herself.
- The Fundamentalist: Like many religious converts Michelle starts getting hardcore about it. She insists on observing the Sabbath, which bothers Francois at moments like when they're late to meet friends but Michelle refuses to ride in a taxi because it's the Sabbath.
- Gentile Jew-Chaser: Unlike most of this sort, Michelle is entranced enough to convert. Francois is pretty skeptical of her conversion because he thinks this trope is the motivating factor.Michelle: You're not Jewish enough!
- Lady Drunk: Michelle's mother Valerie, who has a habit of drinking too much and gets drunk at a family lunch. After Michelle makes a catty comment about her mother's drinking, Valerie gets upset and goes on a rant about how she's stuck in a failed marriage with Michelle's shitty stepfather, but that she can't get out because she's too old to attract another man.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: An odd religious variant on this, as Michelle is a free-spirited peppy young woman who plunges into Judaism as if it's a cool new hobby, after she starts dating a Jewish man.
- Maybe Ever After: At Valerie's wedding Francois sees Michelle and suggests that they try again. She says it's too late. But afterwards, in the crowd she sees him and gets a pensive look. She looks down, turns around to look back at him—roll credits, but not before a "To Be Continued."
- Rom Com Job: Michelle is a model, although she apparently isn't making all that much money at it as she badgers her mother to buy her a refrigerator. Francois is a veterinarian.
- Sexy Shirt Switch: Subverted, as Michelle puts on Francois' sweater after sex, and is still wearing that shirt when she attempts to OD on pills. Francois later wryly comments that he never got that sweater back.
- Time-Passes Montage: A montage shows the couple going through a series of lessons on Judaism as part of Michelle's conversion process. Francois falls asleep.
- To Be Continued: The film ends with a "To Be Continued" after a freeze-frame, underlining the Maybe Ever After ending between Michelle and Francois.
