Character Relationship Map: I Do

Characters

• Luis Costa (played by Alain Chabat) — protagonist

  Luis Costa is a 43-year-old perfumer who enjoys a comfortable single life but is pressured by his family to marry within a year. He recruits Emma to pose as his fiancée and abandon him at the altar, t...

• Geneviève Costa (played by Bernadette Lafont) — supporting
• Maxine (played by Louise Monot) — supporting
• Carole (played by Katia Lewkowicz) — supporting
• Catherine (played by Véronique Barrault) — supporting
• Françoise Messier-Lalande, la directrice de Neiko (played by Christiane Millet) — supporting
• Axelle (played by Marie-Armelle Deguy) — supporting
• Sandrine Philippi, née Bourrague, l'amour de jeunesse (played by Alix de Konopka) — minor

  Sandrine Philippi, née Bourrague, is identified as Luis Costa's youthful love. The failure of Luis's first true relationship, which his family helped ruin, is a major reason he refuses to pursue serio...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Luis Costa → Maxine (Family Brother And Sister) — Maxine is among the relatives who encounter Luis's staged partner and contribute to the family's scrutiny.

  The reference identifies Maxine as one of Luis's sisters and says she meets the woman he hired when the woman is introduced to his family.

• Luis Costa → Axelle (Family Brother And Sister) — Axelle is part of the family circle whose response contributes to the complications of Luis's arrangement.

  The reference identifies Axelle as one of Luis's sisters and says she meets the woman he hired when the woman is introduced to his family.

• Luis Costa → Catherine (Family Brother And Sister) — Catherine is among the relatives involved in the family's scrutiny of Luis's supposed partner.

  The reference identifies Catherine as one of Luis's sisters and says she meets the woman he hired when the woman is introduced to his family.

• Luis Costa → Carole (Family Brother And Sister) — Carole is part of the family circle whose approval and expectations complicate Luis's staged relationship.

  The reference identifies Carole as one of Luis's sisters and says she meets the woman he hired when the woman is introduced to his family.

• Luis Costa → Françoise Messier-Lalande, la directrice de Neiko (Professional Business Project Associates) — Their project is strained by Luis's uncertainty, which frustrates people investing in it.

  The reference says Luis becomes involved in a business project with Françoise Messier-Lalande, director of Neiko, and that he is uncertain about the w...

• Luis Costa → Sandrine Philippi, née Bourrague, l'amour de jeunesse (Romantic Former Young Love) — The failed early relationship helps explain Luis's difficulty sustaining serious relationships later in life.

  The reference says Luis fell in love with Sandrine at 21 and calls her his youthful love. It also says his family dismissed the relationship and that...

• Luis Costa → Geneviève Costa (Family Son And Mother) — Luis's mother's illness draws him back into the family's concerns and leads him and the woman he hired to pretend they are together again.

  The reference identifies Geneviève Costa as Luis's mother and says she is hospitalized, falls into a coma, and repeatedly asks for him.

Story Analysis

Luis tries to manage family pressure through a staged relationship, while family history and the arrangement's emotional strain complicate his choices.

Plot Progression

1. Family Loss and Young Love — After his father's death, the family's old decision-making circle falls apart. Luis's youthful relationship with Sandrine is dismissed by his relatives, and he leaves to seek adventure.
2. An Unsettled Present — Years later, Luis has trouble sustaining serious relationships and asserting himself around his family. His uncertain business project adds another source of pressure.
3. The Staged Partner — Facing pressure to settle down, Luis hires a woman to act as his ideal wife. She meets his family, whose approval makes the arrangement more complicated.
4. Illness and Renewed Pretence — Geneviève is hospitalized and falls into a coma, repeatedly asking for Luis. Luis and the woman pretend to be back together and devise a plan to turn his family against the relationship.
5. Resentment Without Resolution — The woman moves in and attempts to make the family push for a breakup, but the performance becomes difficult. Their arguments reveal hurt and resentment, and the excerpts end with the arrangement unre...